In two weeks, Jwaneng Galaxy and Gaborone United (GU) will battle it out for this season’s Mascom Top 8 honours. With both teams seeking their own piece of history, Moyagoleele are eyeing a historic third title while the Galaxy Stars will be looking to maintain a 100% record in the final and win it for the second time.
Focus will be on Galaxy’s striker Tebogo Sembowa who is on the brink of pocketing his fifth gold medal in just eight editions. Sembowa led his side to this year’s edition of the Mascom Top 8 final to be played on March 9, 2019 at the Francistown Sports Complex. The 31-year-old was in fine form a fortnight ago when he netted a brace to book his side’s place in the final against GU. ‘Mateba’ remains the tournament’s most decorated player and he will be looking to add one more winner’s medal into his burgeoning trophy cabinet.
He has won the tournament a record four times, once with Township Rollers in its inauguration, twice with GU and once with his current club, Galaxy. He will be returning to a venue where two years ago, he scored the decisive goal in the 4-2 thumping of Orapa United.
His closest rival is Security Systems’ Ronald Chikomo who has won it three times, twice with the Reds and once with Ostriches.
The March 9 final will present yet another chance for Sembowa to walk away with the Yellow Boot. He is on level with Rollers’ Kamogelo Matsabu with two goals each. The former Moyagoleele striker has won the award during his time with the Reds and would be looking to walk away with it for the second time.
Sembowa will be beaming with confidence, as he will start as the most experienced player between the two teams, in the tournament, after featuring in all editions of the tie since 2012. The Mascom Top 8 title and Sembowa remains a better love story than the romantic fantasy serial film, Twilight.
Despite Sembowa’s good track record, his Portuguese coach, Miguel da Costa has used his as more of an impact player as he played second fiddle to Zimbabwean striker, Patrick Kaunda for the majority of the season.
This year’s cup final would be more interesting as both coaches, da Costa and Phillimon Makwengwe, are chasing their first Top 8 titles. For Makwengwe, it would be a second piece of silverware after leading the Reds to the Coca-Cola Cup triumph in 2012 while da Costa is chasing his first silverware in just eight months as the head coach of the Galaxy Stars.
