Orapa, Galaxy headed for historic final
Kabelo Boranabi | Tuesday February 28, 2017 16:47
Galaxy’s fairytale continued as they reached the final at the expense of BDF XI on Saturday. Galaxy qualified for the prestigious tournament in their maiden season in the top flight. Mike Sithole’s boys beat the army boys 4-3 on aggregate after playing to a thrilling 3-3 draw at the Galaxy Stadium.
Kumbwee Katjiteo got the first hat trick of the tournament while Thero Setsile, Peter Olangi and Isaac Paeye were on target for the Jwaneng side. Under the tutelage of title winning coach, Sithole Galaxy would be the second club to win the tournament at the first attempt after Orapa’s exploits last season.
On the other hand, the Ostriches are on a quest to be the first club to defend the cup. Only, Gaborone United (GU) have won the cup more than once.
In a repeat of last year’s final, United ran rout over Township Rollers in the two-legged semi-final. United advanced on 4-1 aggregate score-line after beating an unenthusiastic Rollers 2-1 at the National Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Tormentors, Omaatla Kebatho and Tendai Nyumasi got the goals for United as they did in the first leg played a fortnight ago. The two sides, who were knocked out of continental tournaments last week had to find a way to redeem themselves as they targeted a double this season.
However, it was a mammoth task for Rollers to upend the score after going down 2-0 away in the first leg played at the Francistown Sports Complex. With Rollers not showing desire to level the score, Madinda Ndlovu’s troops were not sitting on their laurels and showed the hunger to reach the final for the second time in succession.
With the Ostriches winning the third of the four matches between the two sides, set to be played in two months, Ndlovu was the most proud self after the game. “He (Rollers coach, Mogomotsi Mpote) was my assistant, he worked under me.
He was assisting me, which means he was working under my philosophy not the other way around. So it was not easy for me to plan for him because I do not know his way of thinking,” Ndlovu said on beating his former assistant twice in two games.
Meanwhile, Katjiteo’s hat trick put him at the summit of the yellow boot with four goals, although Kebatho and Nyumasi are in a better position to take the award as they are on two goals each.
Also on two goals is Rollers’ Pape Ndaw. The date and venue of the final are yet to be confirmed. The two teams, under Debswana, emulated ECCO City Greens and BMC FC who contested the finals under the same sponsor, BMC.