Runaway leaders take on Sharks

MOGOMOTSI BUZWANI & CALISTUS KOLANTSHO
Correspondent | Friday May 20, 2011 00:00

Hogs have 29 points- five clear of second-placed UB Rhinos. Their coach, Barend Botha, said his players are fresh after a break last weekend. The team started training on Tuesday. 'We are ready for Sharks. We want to continue winning our games and the target is to reach the semi-finals. The pressure is there when you lead the log but it will be sweet if we win the title again,' he said.

Botha said all the clubs are targeting Hogs. He said they face a tough assignment against third-placed Sharks. The Francistown side is fresh from a 14-12 win over Desert Whales. While Hogs' roll is expected to continue, the game of the weekend might be in Selebi-Phikwe where EMG Gunners face BDF Cheetahs. The match will decide the team that makes it to the top four. Gunners' spokesperson, Modesto Mazambe, said they are ready to take on Cheetahs.

'We had a good game against White Rhinos which we won 19-0. Our coach made some changes, which paid in the end. We had new players in that game,' he said. Gunners have 17 points to Cheetahs' 15. Mazambe said the new players had a blinder with Letaya Letaya chosen man-of-the-match. Gunners have never lost to Cheetahs and Mazambe said this will motivate his team. He is wary of Cheetahs' forwards who are a dangerous lot. Gunners' captain, Kagiso Ditsebe, and his deputy, Leatametse Mapodisi, are expected to return from suspension.

Cheetahs' coach, Mooketsi Mooketsi, said they are eager to bounce back against Gunners after a 14-0 loss to UB Rhinos. Despite the loss, Mooketsi said his team acquitted itself well. 'My team is made up of young players without experience. They are coming up fine but it will take time for them to gel. Last season, we off-loaded old players so we are still grooming a new team,' said Mooketsi.

He stated that his team has been hit by injuries. At the bottom, Tuskers are still winless. The Francistown side has found the going tough and conceded 329 points in eight outings. Tuskers' coach, Godfrey Mhazo, said he relies mostly on development players and he is keen to recruit new ones from the Francistown area.

'We have not made the improvement that we wanted. We can only improve if we have experienced players because the bulk of the squad is new. But we will get there,' he said. White Rhinos is also struggling with just one bonus point from eight matches.

FixturesTomorrowHogs vs Sharks game Wharic Park (Gaborone)  4pm.Cheetahs vs Gunners Jwaneng 3pmTuskers vs Whales Tuskers ground 3pmUB Rhinos vs White Rhinos Wharic Park 2pm