29 Jan 2024

Palapye-based Morupule Wanderers  aka Bafana ba Magala or Wandy-Wandy got the better of Sua Flamingoes aka Bafana ba Letswai by  defeating it 1-0 in a pulsating Botswana Premier League tier in Palapye on Janaury 27.

The game started on a low note but gained momentum as it was getting old with both teams using diagonal balls to try to get the better of each other.

However, both teams lacked the creative spark in the middle of the park in the opening minutes of the game and no team believed in ‘parking the bus’ but rather resorted to open play to fiercely attack each other in search of goals as the game gained momentum.

Sua Flamingoes converted a goal in a comical way in the 19^th minute of beautiful football display characterised by splendour and combination of qualities such as shape, coherence, colour or rather flair and form that pleased the aesthetic senses, especially the sight.

However, the goal was disallowed because the goal keeper was fouled causing the game to be locked 0-0 at recess. 

With both teams employing efficient and well organised structures in all departments, the struggle for goals continued as both teams came with guns blazing for each other in the second stanza.

In some instances, individual exploits took the limelight instead of team work and therefore it should be noted that style is what people see and admire.

Sua Flamingoes’ top-striker, Nqobile Ndlovu missed a clear-cut chance in the 70^th minute by ballooning the ball over the cross-bar that could have broken the impasse.

 Wanderers defence in some instances looked like a makeshift one allowing opponents to make runs behind them that made dangerous moves.

 Wanderers’ anchor-man Maano Ditshupo, who was a marvel to watch, provided the much needed anchor-ship for his side and gave the boys shape but the opponents ‘steel curtain defence’ was up to the task to thwart dangerous moves.

Wanderers found the back of the net in the 89^th minute through a beautiful header inside the 18-yard box that came through Kealeboga Oitsile that left the goal keeper, Keletso Lekuni thoroughly beaten.

The hosts had exchanged neat passes around the danger zone for the excitement of their fans before slotting it home.

In a post-match interview, Morupule Wanderers gaffer, Agang Mogotsi expressed gratitude for the teams to have returned to play after the league was halted for about a month.

He said his charges started very slow because players were rusty owing to halting of the league because he believed his boys lacked match fitness.

Though they collected maximum points he was of the view that they could have scored many goals given that his side created a lot of scoring opportunities but only converted one.

However, he remained optimistic that with time they would get back on the freight train.

For his part, Sua Flamingoes guru, Mandla Mpofu said they came into the game wanting to collect maximum points but luck was not on their side.

He said it was an easy game to win than to lose given that they created a lot of scoring opportunities but his side could not convert even a single chance.

Mpofu shared that there were a lot of positives he picked from the game that he would use going forward adding that whether one lost or won in football, they were lessons to be learnt.

“I’m happy with performance but not results, and halting of the league had an adverse effect on my charges,” he said. ENDS