28 Jan 2024

Francistown-based Tafic Football Club showed that its return into the elite league was not by fluke by defeating Matebele FC of Oodi 1-0 in a fiercely contested Botswana Premier League encounter at Obed Itani Chilume Stadium on Saturday.

Despite a long absence from the elite league, Tafic played a professional and determined attitude, despite the pressure from the visiting team.

The game was a tight and hard-fought affair, but the host’s skill and determination paid off in the end, earning them a well-deserved victory. The win was a testament to the evenly-matched teams as both sides had given it their all.

The sweat and blood battle from the two teams did not produce a goal in the first stanza of the game, an outcome evident to be having toll on the teams’ expectant supporters.  

Introduction of Tafic’s newly signed striker, Onkemetse Makgantai, former Township Rollers player changed the complexion of the game.

His fresh energy and talent injected new life into the team, and he quickly proved himself to be a force to be reckoned with.

It was his expert pass that created the opportunity for the game’s only goal when he crossed a telling pass to Kitso Mpuisang.

Mpuisang, was quick to capitalise on a rebound from the Matebele goalkeeper, Karamelo Kgosipula, who at the time was working overtime, volleying each and every shot that came about.

With a deft touch, Mpuisang sent the ball soaring into the back of the net, igniting a roar of cheers from the Tafic supporters.

The goal was a moment of pure jubilation for the Tafic team, and it was clear that the match had truly begun.

Makgantai’ s contribution was undeniable, that he will be a key player for Tafic in future matches.

Though the visiting side created plenty of opportunities, they were unable to breach Tafic’s   impenetrable defence.

It was evident that the clicking time put Matebele under pressure in quest for an equaliser.

Their players gave it their all, with Romeo Kasume and Thabo Maponda making daring runs into the box and creating multiple scoring opportunities, but lady luck was not on their side.

At some point, the hopes of Matebele supporters were raised when captain Obonye Moswate connected with a cross from the wing, heading the ball towards the Tafic goalminder.

The players, coach and fans alike held their breath as the ball soared through the air, only to be met with bitter disappointment as it soared above the crossbar.

Matebele fans were instantly silenced, the excitement of the moment dissipating whilst for Tafic, it was a moment of relief, knowing that they have narrowly avoided an equalising goal.

In a post-match interview, Tafic gaffer Philemon Makwengwe described the game as being both physically and mentally demanding.Though his team had kept Matebele from scoring in the first half, he acknowledged that they had been tested by three players from the visiting team.

Makwengwe praised his players for creating chances and fighting hard throughout the game, but acknowledged that they needed to work on their ability to convert those chances into goals.

He spoke about the adjustments that would be made in future training sessions to address the issues and congratulated Makgantai to have changed the complexion of the game which gave them three points.

For Matebele coach, Elias Chinyemba, it was a learning curve but praised his team’s performance in the first half of the game.He said his players dominated the match, creating a number of chances and putting Tafic defence under pressure.

However, the coach acknowledged that there were certain areas in which his team needed to improve, particularly after the long break from festive holidays.

Chinyemba also spoke about the need to identify and address these challenges in order to improve their position on the league table. ENDS