TAFIC one foot in after ECCO rout
Koketso Kgoboge | Tuesday March 28, 2017 15:45
With three fixtures remaining, Matjimenyenga maintained their five-point lead over second-placed Motlakase Power Dynamos who are on 43 points. Motlakase won their Saturday encounter 2-0 away to Chobe United.
TAFIC coach, Elias Chinyemba said they will not be carried away by the current log standings. He gave credit to his squad for the remarkable win against ECCO.
“The entire team was spot on. We brought our scoring boots and we defended well,” he said. “The league is far from over. We are left with three games and we hope to collect as many points as we can. We are focused on finishing on a high note.”
ECCO made four changes to the squad that held Motlakase to a 1-1 draw a week ago and coach, Texan Phiri said he was giving fringe players a run. He said the game was evenly contested, but they faltered early and failed to recover.
“We gave away very easy goals and we could not recover. We lost the game in the first half. I made a number of changes in the squad to try and give other players a chance, but TAFIC looked more determined,” he said.
It took TAFIC 15 minutes to break the deadlock and two minutes later, they were leading 2-0. On the quarter-hour mark, Mbatshi Elias produced individual brilliance after receiving the ball on the left wing, the winger cut inside and took a 25-yard pile driver into the upper right. In the 17th minute, Mmoloki Kafuku received a pass from Uyapo Tibathuwe and buried it in the bottom left corner. Kafuku grabbed his second two minutes from the break. ECCO defender’s miscued clearance in the box fell onto the path of Kafuku and he took a half volley into the similar bottom left corner. TAFIC took the foot off the pedal in the second half and ECCO failed to capitalise. However, Cosmos Sebona managed to pull one back in the 80th minute with a well taken free kick in front of the box. Kemoreng Batisani responded four minutes later with TAFIC’s fourth of the afternoon. The striker pounced in a loose ball and rounded the keeper before burying. Meanwhile at the bottom, Satmos and TASC have relegated. Mathematically the two sides can only finish with 15 and 20 points respectively and could only finish on position 10, which is still in the relegation zone.
Satmos failed to honour their weekend fixture against BR Highlanders. TASC were trounced 5-0 by rivals GNT on Saturday. Morupule Wanderers played to a stalemate with Real Movers while Maun Tigers did not honour their fixture against Sua Flamingoes.