05 Mar 2023

An Edwin Moalosi goal earned Township Rollers a 2-1 victory over Orapa United in a pulsating premier league encounter at the National Stadium Saturday night.

Rollers entered the match as underdogs following just one win and six draws in previous seven matches. Orapa United were, on one side, on a 10-match unbeaten run that had included eight victories.

The night’s script seemed to follow that trajectory as Orapa, at the same venue where they defeated defending champions Gaborone United 4-2 a week before, took the lead through a Jackson Lesole own goal with just over 20 minutes left.

But the Blues’ captain Simisani Mathumo equalised with just over 10 minutes to spare setting the scene for Moalosi’s stoppage time heroics.

A sizable National Stadium crowd was treated to an enthralling match as the two sides went hammer and tongs at each other from the first minute to the last.

Rollers fired the first shots in anger with Popa forwards Morgan Gaseitsewe and Terry Uiseb testing Orapa goalkeeper Lesenya Malapela into making two quick saves within the first two minutes of the match.

The Ostriches then forced Rollers goalkeeper Kabelo Maphakela into three saves within the space of five minutes from just after the 10th minute mark.

In the third of these chances, Lemogang ‘Ntoche’ Maswena located the league’s leading goal scorer Omaatla Kebatho in acres of space in the Rollers danger zone, but his shot was denied by Maphakela.

Thereafter, quick counter attacking transition play saw Gaseitsewe miss on the other end, before another Popa opportunity with Phenyo Serameng being denied by the upright.

Orapa grew in strength towards the end of the first half, their attacking trio of Kebatho, Maswena and Wilfred Takuzwa Muvirimi proving a handful to the Rollers rearguard. In the second half, the Blues and the Ostriches continued with high octane football.

Rollers’ second half substitute Mogakolodi ‘Tsotso’ Ngele prised open the Orapa defence with some sublime one two passes exchanged with Shaun Gcumeni who was then denied by by Malapela.

Orapa took the lead in the 69th minute after full back Lesole tried to cut out a low cross played deep into the Rollers penalty area, only for the ball to slide into his own net.

Ten minutes later, Mathumo rose to head in Rollers’ 79th minute equaliser setting the tone for an exhilarating last 10 minutes.

With four minutes left, referee Joshua Bondo handed yellow cards to three players on the Rollers bench- Mbatshi Elias, who had been substituted eight minutes earlier, Denver Meyer and Phillip Kaku. Elias was then red carded by Bondo on the advice of fourth official Tshepo Gobagoba.

In the dying seconds of the five minutes allocated for stoppage time, Moalosi hit a powerful shot past Malapela to send Rollers supporters into wild celebrations as the Blues emerged 2-1 victors. Ends