Orapa, Galaxy battle for mining rights
Chakalisa Dube | Friday June 14, 2024 13:35
They recently won the league and victory tomorrow will further reinforce their credentials as a local football powerhouse. On the other hand, the Ostriches will undoubtedly seek to redeem their poor season by clinching the FA Cup for the second time in their history and regaining their status as cup specialists in local football. For the first time in many years, United finished outside the top eight in the league as they ended in 10th position. The weekend match will also be of significance to the coaches of both teams for several reasons. For Morena Ramoreboli, a win will not only enhance his already impressive coaching resume but would also be a perfect goodbye to Galaxy, if speculation on his future is anything to go by. There are strong reports that Ramoreboli will be joining one of South Africa's junior national teams on a full-time basis.
The South African has not commented on links to any job in his homeland. He has, however, openly expressed his desire to serve his country. For Orapa’s Gadimang Tiiso, a decision on his future could largely depend on the outcome of tomorrow’s final. If Orapa emerge victorious, he would have passed the litmus test and will inevitably be appointed on a substantive basis. On the flip side, a loss could ultimately cost him his job, or he might be demoted to his original assistant coaching role. There has been speculation that the club is considering bringing in an experienced coach to replace Tiiso. Tiiso was roped in as an interim coach after the sacking of Zimbabwean coach, Taurai Mangwiro, late last year. In an interview yesterday Tiiso shrugged off talk relating to his future. “It is a pleasure and motivation for me as a young Motswana coach to reach the final of a major competition like the FA Cup. I still have age on my side and my goal is to coach in the Premier League for the next 10 years before exploring other options. I do not want to talk much about my future at Orapa for now. The goal is to win the final. I will, however, accept whatever decision that the club takes after the final,” said Tiiso, who is eyeing his first major achievement as a coach in the top division.
Tiiso said the team’s preparations for the final have gone very well. “We do not have any injury in the squad. The only thing that impacted negatively in our preparations is that we did most of the preparations without our players who were with the national,” he said. Like his counterpart, Ramoreboli did not dwell much on his future. His attention was much more on the preparations for the final. “We are preparing well for the game. It is going to be a tough match against a tough opponent, a team that can score a lot of goals and defend well. We will try our level best to prepare well. There is a lot of information we have about them. We know the system they use and their influential players. Fortunately, all my players are okay. It is going to be a good game. People should expect a very competitive game. Both teams want to win it,” he said.