Young Strikers defeated Orapa United 5-4 in penalty shootout on Saturday. The two sides were tied at 1-1 in normal time before Zebras goalkeeper, Lesenya Malapela’s penalty was saved in sudden death, handing over a famous victory to Young Strikers. Out of the remaining pack in the last eight round of the competition, Young Strikers and Holy Ghost are the only two sides from the lower division. “In terms cup competition, we must enjoy the ride. When we get to the top eight, it’s your top teams in the league. We will see what happens,” Nthaga said.
Nthaga also said the victory against Orapa United is motivation enough for them to continue pushing for promotion in the league. “It gives us motivation to try and pursue our mandate, which is to chase the First Division pack. There is no better motivation or belief you can get than winning against Orapa United,” he said. Young Strikers were the first to draw blood before Orapa United equalised in the dying minutes of the game. However, Nthaga said despite conceding towards the end, they still believed that they would be winners at the end of the day. He said they were prepared for moments like that and was happy with the mentality of his players. “I know the penalty shootout is a lottery but you have to have very strong mentality,” he said. In the quarterfinals, Young Strikers will be at home to VTM while Matebele take on Mochudi Centre Chiefs. Security Systems face off with Holy Ghost while Jwaneng Galaxy host Sua Flamingoes.
