Santos return to big stage
Kabelo Boranabi | Tuesday June 11, 2024 10:49
The two teams clashed at the Palapye Stadium on Saturday afternoon while Santos trailed 1-0 after the first leg played a week ago. On Saturday, Santos beat Motlakase 2-1 in normal time to take the aggregate score to 2-2. The two sides then headed to a penalty shootout to determine who returns to the big stage. Santos’ goalkeeper, Matshwenyego Koobonye, made two penalty saves as his side won the shootout 4-3. The away side had a first chance at goal when Goitsemodimo Zoko volleyed a free-kick wide off the post on the 13th minute.
Three minutes later, Lemogang Kabo gave Santos the lead as he finished off a good move by his side to bury his attempt from the edge of the box. Kgololo Kgogobi on the other end had his low driven attempt from outside the box saved on the 19th minute. The attacker came closer once again with five minutes to the break but his effort was inches wide off the post. Santos held a 1-0 lead at the half time break. The visitors doubled the lead through a Matthews Moruti’s strike. The forward showed great composure inside the box to beat the goalkeeper to the near post. Tumelo Sentle on the break chipped the ball over the onrushing goalkeeper but his attempt went wide off the post on the 51st minute. Phodiso Motsaakgang met Kagiso Tsere’s free-kick on the 59th minute and his attempt was parried away for a corner kick. With nine minutes to time, Tsere pulled one back to make it 2-2 on aggregate.
The game went to a penalty shootout where Ma-14 sailed through. Motlakase’s interim coach, Agang Pule Mogotsi, blames a nervy approach after his side let a goal lead slip. “It was always going to be tricky coming here with a 1-0 lead into this game. I felt for a much better part of the first half we were nervous and we could not settle early into the game and allowed Santos to dictate the tempo of the game. After we changed the formation in the second half and played with a back three, we gained a bit of control and we got the goal we wanted. But I still felt that even after we scored the goal, we still rushed things,” Mogotsi said.
The teams Motlakase: Pitso Pulankgodise, Eric Gaobatlelwe (Master Masitara), Otsile Meti, Kemiso Bomo Nswazi, Tumelo Rabadisa, Gosegonna Molapisi, Onkemetse Oitsile, Kgololo Kgogobi, Meshack Puompe, Kagiso Tsere, Phodiso Motsaakgang (Rapelang Koogotsitse) Santos: Matshwenyego Koobonye, Lemogang Kabo, Bushe Gunda, Mosimanegape Pelaelo, Tlamelo Abueng, Goitsemodimo Zoko, Botshelo Pelokgosi (Thuso Marumo), Tshepo Mbulawa, Tumelo Sentle, Matthews Moruti (Bosa Mokgweetsi), Onalethata Khuta
Motlakase 1 (Tsere 81st) Santos 2 (Kabo 16th, Moruti 48th)