Spluttering GU in a rut
Kabelo Boranabi | Friday March 3, 2017 15:17
The Reds have only collected five points out of a possible 18 in the six league games played in 2017. The latest defeat came at the hands of city rivals, Township Rollers in a league game on Wednesday night at the National Stadium.
GU went down to a solitary goal thanks to a late minute penalty.
The referee pointed to the spot after defender, Tshepo Maikano handled the ball inside the box in the 88th minute and Rollers’ striker Terrence Mandaza stepped up and sent keeper Goitseone Phoko the wrong way for his 11th goal of the league.
GU’s coach, Rodolfo Zapata was not a happy man after the match and called for consistency from match officials. “I’m very proud of my players’ efforts, they fought very hard.
I don’t know what happened with penalty, I don’t want to talk about the referee but it is a big question mark in the country; they call one thing this way next week they call the other way.
If it is a hand ball then it should be hand ball all the games, I mean I don’t know, I don’t want to talk about that,” said a seemingly emotional Zapata.
The Argentine who dropped a hint that he may be leaving the club sooner said they have been dealing with off field issues, which might have had an impact on the team’s performances.
“I’m a stronger believer that we are going to finish in the top eight or top four. I still believe in the players. Everyone knows our current situation, the politics and all the things.
“Everyone knows we never want to negotiate. We play attacking football and 100% positive attitude. We had a couple of chances we could not finish and then at the end you saw what happened,” he said.
For his part, Rollers’ coach Mogomotsi ‘Teenage’ Mpote breathed a sigh of relief after his team was knocked out of two cup competitions in a space of two weeks. Popa have returned to the top of the log with a point ahead of second placed, Jwaneng Galaxy.
“The boys played well, they should be lauded for that. As you know we lost two cups.
We have congested fixtures and it is not easy. What is pleasing is that the boys put everything behind them, and decided all is not lost that now we are going for the league title.
I’m pleased with the fight they gave GU,” he told journalists after the game. The defeat takes GU to ninth position with 23 points as rookies Security Systems overlapped them after they shocked Orapa United with a 1-0 win.
To rub more salt to GU’s wounds, reliable defender, Godwin Bonsu was stretched off in the 83rd minute.
The Ghanaian was rushed to hospital after the game.
Zapata who has only registered 18 outfield players for the second round of the season would have to depend on Maikano and Thabiso Khunwane in the central defence role.
In other mid week games, Mochudi Centre Chiefs continued their good form as they thumped Green Lovers 5-1 while Miscellaneous shocked BDF XI 2-1.
Galaxy played to a goalless draw with Gilport Lions, Police XI and United Hotspurs game ended 1-1 while Black Forest and Sankoyo Bush Bucks’ fixture failed to produce a goal.