19 Mar 2023

A goal apiece in the first half at Samabaje ground, Saturday settled the day.

It is a point apiece. Hosts Peacemakers struck first through Phetso Baakile. Thabang Watlala collected a ball inside the box and pushed it precisely on the way of the charging Baakile, who easily slotted at the roof of the net to set fans on the south posts on joyous celebrations.

The game was not done. A few minutes later visiting Sankoyo Bush Bucks reset hosts supporters to mute when Nlisa Dema punched into an open net after Peacemakers goalkeeper Ezekiel Lisenda parried the ball right before him.

The teams went for recess at a one-all and it later became the eventual final score that earned Sankoyo a crucial point. It is a building block of the ladder that will elevate the Maun team from the relegation zone to middle of First Division North league table.

Now Ngurungu boys are in course to steadying their ship, which has hitherto been experiencing turbulent times of relegation woes.

When the final whistle went, Ngurungu coach Phaphani Lika gathered his boys inside the 18 yard box of the northern posts, gave thanks to the Almighty before holding a brief meeting to commend his charges for ‘a massive point’.

In a post-match interview, Lika beamed a smile of fulfilment. His boys have taken the weight off his shoulders although the team still lingers around the red zone.

“It is a massive point that I came here for. I was actually looking for three points while still alive to the fact that gaining a point here would be massive for us,” said coach Lika.

Lika, who breathed a sigh of relief after coming from behind to equalise and subsequently earn a draw away from home, said that the next three games would see Sankoyo steer completely out of the red zone after spending quite some substantial time languishing in the slippery area.

“My belief is that we’re getting out of the danger zone forever. It is a relief that this point is elevating us to the mid table before we leave the red zone totally,” added Lika.

While the Sankoyo gaffer was relieved that his team was finally gaining traction to pull out of the muddy terrain, the Peacemakers coach cut a frustrated man for his boys were firing aimlessly and recklessly.

“There’s nothing I can say now. For us, it is two points lost,” said Rebagamang Keimetswe, who is trying to breathe life into a body that is about to surrender.

For Keimetswe, whose team has accumulated only 11 points from 16 games, a draw was not a result he bargained for. At this critical moment of the league coaches battle for maximum points. They want to change the course of ships seemingly destined to hit rock bottom.

Peacemakers are lying second from the bottom and a continued failure to accumulate points could see the team drop heavily to Division One, an unpleasant move that befell such teams as Francistown City Greens and Mosquito inter alia.

“It is not yet time to press panic buttons though. We will keep on trying until the last whistle,” coach Keimetswe said, adding that hope would carry them to safety.

Although tricks seemed to elude the Bobonong side at their territory, coach Keimetswe will be working tirelessly on finishing.

It is an assignment which when completed successfully would see Nttodiboleda (Peacemakers moniker) shoot right and up.

“We’ve tried our best to rectify our finishing problems following our midweek loss to Highlanders, but here we are, still struggling to bury the chances that we create in big numbers,” said Keimetswe.

Although the Peacemakers coach has plans afoot to fix the boys’ unsteady performance grid, he sometimes wonders ‘what it is that I should do as a coach to motivate these boys.”

Meanwhile elsewhere, Mabalakalungu ripped Rolling Guys apart with a resounding 5-0, Highlanders beat Calendar Stars 1-0, Motlakase Power Dynamos beat Santa Green 1-0 while Chadibe and Miscellaneous played to a 2 all draw. ENDS