The Blues and The Reds battle for Orange
They take pride in the colours of their home jerseys, which gave birth to monikers ‘The Blues’ and ‘The Reds’, but this Saturday they trade blows to be draped in an entirely different colour.
The Orange FA Cup serves up one of local football’s fiercest rivalries as Township Rollers and Gaborone United lock horns in a high-stakes quarterfinal at the National Stadium.
GU enter the tie with the richer pedigree in this competition, having lifted the FA Cup three times, while Rollers, despite their domestic success over the years, are chasing a first triumph in seven attempts.
The Money Machine also dominated the derby this season, embarrassing their neighbours 3-1 and 4-0 as they romped to a 9 th league title.
Far from satisfied, Coach Sean Conner and his players are hungry for more as they look to emulate the league/cup double achieved by Jwaneng Galaxy two years ago.
Addressing the media on Friday, the Northern Irishman said his players are desperate to achieve something special
“They all said they want more and they want to get better,” declared Connor.
Undaunted by Connor’s ominous war-cry, his opposite number, newly appointed Rollers Coach, Tor Thodesen said his team were ‘in it to win it’.
“I want to believe that I’ve developed a cup mentality that I can transfer to the players,” said the Norwegian.
Beginning the mind games early, Thodesen insisted all the pressure will be on the newly crowned, back-to-back league Champions as everyone knows they’re ‘the best team in the country’.
“That is not a statement, that’s a fact. But that doesn’t mean we can’t beat them three of four times out of 10. You’ll never know if that can be tomorrow!” he added.
History, pride and a semi-final ticket will be on the line as Botswana’s fiercest rivals collide in a blockbuster Orange FA Cup showdown. Expect a charged atmosphere, fine margins, and a derby that could swing either way.
