Orapa blame fixture congestion for poor run
Koketso Kgoboge | Friday March 10, 2017 14:49
Kick-off is 4pm. Ostriches assistant, Zacharia Muzadzi blamed their appalling form on fixture congestion.
“It’s not that our focus is on the Mascom Top 8 only as other people may think. We approach all our games with a winning mentality, but realistically the games were just too congested. We had no time to recover and that should explain the dropping of points,” he said.
The Ostriches, despite the overwhelming performances in the Mascom Top 8, find themselves battling in the league. Only in January, Orapa were top of the log, two points above their weekend opponents. But it has all gone haywire. They have fallen down the packing order to the third and 11 points adrift of Rollers who are top with 43 points. The two foes sandwich Jwaneng Galaxy.
Ostriches have managed a dismal eight points out of a possible 21 winning just two and losing three in the last seven matches. Orapa are still smarting from a 2-0 loss at the hands of BDF XI at their dreaded backyard in midweek. BDF XI are the only side to emerge with maximum points at Itekeng since a Gilport Lions win back in April 2016. Before their BDF XI loss they had gone 20 games without a home defeat. Popa have not been overly successful at Itekeng Stadium, escaping with two draws and recording one loss. Their last visit back in 2015 ended in a stalemate. Muzadzi said they picked a number of injuries recently, but they still do not have the luxury to rest after gruelling encounters in the CAF Confederations Cup and the semi-final of the Mascom Top 8.
He said about six first team players are either out injured or nursing some knocks. Of the players who are injured, their speedy winger, Lemogang Maswena has been missing since the second leg of the CAF Confederations Cup against Mbabane Swallows with a strained keen. Left back Lesenya Ramoraka is also out with a knee injury picked against Rollers in their last meeting. His replacement Mooketsi Hlabano is now out with a similar injury. Thabang Mosige and Olekantse Mambo are carrying minor knocks. Mudzazi said they expect Rollers to come with revenge on their minds, hopeful of a league title, but he said they will stick to their usual game.
“We don’t have to change anything, we are home and we have got nothing to fear. We respect Rollers like any team in the Premiership, but this is a match we must win so that we reduce the deficit at the top.”
Orapa’s form in five matches
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