the monitor

Goal-shy BDF worry Thuma

Mpho Kgaswane of Orapa United (white) battling for the ball with Oratile Taunyane of BDF XI (red). PIC PHATSIMO KAPENG
Mpho Kgaswane of Orapa United (white) battling for the ball with Oratile Taunyane of BDF XI (red). PIC PHATSIMO KAPENG

LOBATSE: BDF XI's assistant coach, Mompati Thuma, is worried about his side's lack of the killer instinct in the final third after playing to a 1-1 draw with Orapa United on Saturday. Matebele dominated the Botswana Premier League (BPL) game played at the Lobatse Sports Complex but could only get a point.

They are amongst the lowest scoring teams in the league with 15 goals in as many games. Thuma is also worried that the lack of goals could define their season. "The boys played well but like many games, we had a lot of chances but we failed to score more goals. I thought after the GU (Gaborone United) game, we rectified the problem. I was telling them (players) in the dressing room that in football when you have a chance bury it, we saw it with Orapa, they had one chance and they used it. But for us we had 10 more chances but we could not come to the party," Thuma said. The home side had glorious chances inside the first 20 minutes. Thabo Metlhayotlhe had a lowly struck shot saved on the eighth minute before Aobakwe Tshobo missed by just a whisker with a free-kick attempt on the 19th minute. Mpho Kgaswane for Orapa nearly caught the goalkeeper off guard with a shot saved from range on the 29th minute. Oratile Taunyane was beaten by the keeper on a one-on-one on the 36th minute while three minutes to the break, Stephen Sibanda had scored for Orapa but the goal was recalled for offside. It was level at 0-0 at the half time. Seven minutes in to the second half, Lemogang Maswena was at the end of a series of passes by Orapa but shot into the keeper's hands. On the hour mark, substitute Mbonisi Ncube skied his chance before Tumisang Pule headed in a corner kick to give BDF the lead on the 62nd minute. On the 69th minute, Ncube had done enough to beat his marker but drove a poor shot to the keeper. The Ostriches found the leveller on the 76th minute as Gofaone Mabaya struck in Tapiwa Nyamanjiva's cross. A minute to the full time, Taunyane had his header blocked before he had another go on the second of the four additional minutes but was blocked. Rentse Keakabetse also came close in the drying minutes as his attempt was also blocked.

The teams

BDF: Kagiso Matlou, Pelontle Lerole, Onkabetse Serofo, Motlomelo Makwanazi, Ronald Setshego, Emmanuel Sekwena, Aobakwe Tshobo, Tumisang Pule (Rentse Keakabetse), Thabo Metlhayotlhe (Mbonisi Ncube), Mompoloki Moatshe, Oratile Taunyane (Thabo Tshotlo)

Orapa: Lesenya Malapela, Mpho Kgaswane, Ricky Ratlhogo, Tapiwa Nyamanjiva, Thabo Mosige (Tinashe Balakashi), Koketso Majafi, Kagisano Mungu, Kleophas Useb, Lemogang Maswena (Gofaone Mabaya), Stephen Sibanda (Atamelang Lesogo), Baokeditse Talane (Tshepo Malgas)

Cautions: Majafi, Kgaswane

Score: BDF 1 (Pule 62nd) Orapa 1 (Mabaya 76th)

Editor's Comment
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