Satmos defy odds as ECCO plumbs the depths

Mqondisi Dube | Wednesday October 9, 2013 09:08

It looked like business as usual when the Selebi-Phikwe side slumped to an opening day 2-0 defeat to Mochudi Centre Chiefs.

However, victory in the next four matches has seen the side climb to second behind leaders, BDF XI. Satmos have 12 points from five games and lie just a point adrift of the army side.

Driven by the Premier League's leading scorer, Patrick Kaunda, the Cheetahs have floored ECCO City Greens, Uniao Flamengo Santos, Miscellaneous and TAFIC in quick succession.

Satmos have a strong squad built around experienced players, Mpoeleng 'Stopper' Mpoeleng, Mosimanegape 'Twizer' Ramohibidu and Tshepiso Kgosiemang.

Meanwhile, Township Rollers put behind their in-house squabbles, grabbing a 2-0 win over Uniao Flamengo Santos thanks to goals from Jerome Louis and Sekhana Koko.

The win was Rollers' second of the campaign and lifts them to the top half for the first time this season. BDF XI remained unbeaten and reclaimed top spot with a 1-0 win over Motlakase Power Dynamos in Palapye. Captain, Mokgathi Mokgathi's solitary strike ensured BDF XI became the first team from the South to win at the Swallows Ground.

Chiefs had gone top on Saturday with a 1-0 win over a faltering Notwane courtesy of Bonolo Fraiser's third goal of the season.

Fraiser is enjoying his stay at Chiefs since an off-season switch from Nico United. Extension Gunners continued to totter since the 1-0 win over Township Rollers raised their supporters' hopes.

However, successive defeats have plunged the Lobatse side to 10th with only four points from five games. Miscellaneous is the latest side to punish Gunners' in a 1-0 defeat.

Wonder Sporting confirmed ECCO City Greens worst start to a season since the club won the Premier League title in 2007. Wonder condemned the Francistown side to a fourth defeat in five games, leaving ECCO with a meagre haul of one point and firmly rooted in the relegation zone.

It promises to be a long and hard season for Francistown teams as winless TAFIC anchors the log.

BMC's problems meant Orapa United were inactive while the tie between Gaborone United and Nico was cancelled due to floodlights failure in Selebi-Phikwe.

In the race for the Golden Boot, Kaunda has taken over the early lead from Nico's Topo Piet whose team was inactive over the weekend.

Kaunda has five goals while Piet has four. There is a cluster of players on three goals with BDF XI's Saukani Zulu, Onalethata Tshekiso and Bonolo Fraiser in the mix.