Too Close To Call In Title Race

By Frederick Kebadiretse
Staff Writer | Monday February 22, 2010 00:00

 

Leaders, Township Rollers were successful from their long trip to Selebi-Phikwe after beating Nico United 2-1.

In Gaborone, second-placed Mochudi Centre Chiefs kept up the pressure on Rollers after a 5-1 demolition of struggling BMC at the University of Botswana (UB) stadium. The gap between the top two teams remains two points in what promises to be an interesting battle for the title.

Third-placed Extension Gunners who have been recording unconvincing results lately stamped their authority over Killer Giants with a 3-0 win in Lobatse which meant they remain in the title contention.

Chiefs, who are yet to lose a game in 18 outings, were in for a stern test as they met relegation-threatened BMC under their former Magosi coach, Mike 'Dubula Dubula' Sithole.  Ezinkomo have been playing well lately despite languishing at the wrong end of the table. Expectations were high that they will build on their previous performance when they met Chiefs.

However, this was not to be as Chiefs were in an uncompromising mood on the day. BMC started well and were able to hold Chiefs for the first 20 minutes but everything went wrong towards the end of the first half when Magosi scored their opener through a Musonda Mweuka header. A concentration lapse in the dying minutes of the game led to Chiefs' second goal which was converted by Othusitse 'Jabu' Pilane.

After the break, Magosi were all over BMC and added another two through Lesego Galenamotlhale and Sekhana Koko before BMC pulled one back through substitute Phemelo 'Bunene' Ditsile. Substitute, Galabgwe Moyana who replaced Othusitse Pilane made the score emphatic towards the end. Chiefs could have scored more goals had it not been for the ineptness of Mweuka on the day. The Zambian missed three clear-cut chances in the first half before missing a penalty in the final minutes of the game. Moloi was brought down in the box and the referee pointed to the spot but Mweuka's effort hit the upright.

Credit must go to Chiefs' rearguard of Given Mpundu and Michael Mogaladi who closed down BMC forwards Derrick Badibanga and Owen Mwendabai throughout thee game. In other results on Saturday, Jwaneng Comets and ECCO City Greens drew 1-1 in Jwaneng.