Ostriches look to fly in the final
Koketso Kgoboge | Friday March 31, 2017 15:52
Journey to the finals
Orapa have grown in leaps and bounds in just four seasons of existence and is yet to lose a Mascom Top 8 game.
This season, they navigated a tricky draw, starting with stubborn minors, Miscellaneous in the quarterfinals and later eased past new foes, Rollers in the semifinals.
It took an away goal advantage to brush-off Miscellaneous after a stalemate in the first leg of the quarterfinals at Itekeng Stadium and a 1-1 draw in the second leg in Serowe.
In the semi-final labelled ‘the final before the final’, Madinda Ndlovu and his men tore the blues apart with ease dumping them 4-1 in aggregate with a 2-0 in Francistown and a 2-1 away win in Gaborone to book a meeting with Galaxy in the final.
United have scored five and conceded two in their past four fixtures.
The player to watch
Ronald Chikomo is expected to carry the vast burden for the Ostriches, the Zambian eyeing a record stretching fourth gold medal. He has won two gold medals with his former side Gaborone United and the other, with Orapa.
Chikomo has not only won more gold medals, but has also developed a penchant for displaying feisty performances in the Top 8 competition. The Zambian said he is not expecting his next medal to come easily. “A final is where the best teams meet and we are not expecting anything to come easy. Everyone is going to put a 100% in and so will I. If I get the fourth gold medal it will be a great achievement for myself, but we are prepared to fight for Orapa United as a unit.”
Alongside Chikomo, United will pin their hopes on, among others, talisman Tendai Nyumasi. Nyumasi was instrumental in both legs when they dumped Rollers in the semi-final, grabbing a goal in each of the two matches.
Silky Lemogang Maswena, Omaatla Kebatho and recent acquisition, Gift Moyo are the other players who cannot be ignored.
It will be exciting to see how the United back four are going to deal with the potential threat from their former marksman, Thabang Sesinyi.
Ndlovu, who is undoubtedly the most successful coach locally, also has a point to prove. The Zimbabwean has appeared numerous times in the top 8 finals, but got his first breakthrough with United last season. He would want to prove that the last popping of champagne was no fluke.