GU and Popa clash twice in seven days
This Saturday, capital city giants, Township Rollers and Gaborone United clash in the Premier League for the first of two potentially season-defining meetings in the space of a week.
The league fixture, a must-win for GU if they are to keep their slim title hopes alive, is a precursor for next week’s Orange FA Cup semi-final, when the two sides will do it all again at a venue still to be confirmed.
Putting a slight dampener on the excitement ahead of Saturday’s game, the derby will be played 75km out of Gabs, having been moved to the Lobatse Sports Complex with the National Stadium unavailable due to the BDF Day celebrations.
Despite this, there is plenty riding on the game.
With league leader’s Jwaneng Galaxy locked in a difficult derby of their own up north in Orapa, GU are well aware that victory over their inner city rivals could cut the gap at the top to just two points.
With just two games remaining after this, the Reds know that it’s now or never; anything less than three points and the title race will effectively be over regardless of what happens in Boteti.
The Money Machine go into Saturday’s 15:30hrs kick-off on the back of a morale-boosting 5-0 thrashing of already relegated Mogoditshane Fighters at the weekend.
Rollers, however, represent a much tougher proposition.
Currently sitting fourth in the league, having lost the same number of games as Galaxy (two) and one less than GU, Popa’s problem this season has been an inability to finish teams off.
Amazingly, the Blues’ 2-2 stalemate with rock bottom Extension Gunners last time out was their 14th draw of the season!
There was nothing to separate the teams last time they met on a dramatic afternoon back in November, Segolame Boy giving Popa an early lead with what was the only goal GU conceded in their first nine games!
Mapalastina were denied the win, however, Lebogang ‘CCTV’ Ditsele coming off the bench to grab an equalizer in the dying seconds with literally the last kick of the game.
The lanky midfielder will be hoping for a similar impact on his returns from a one-game suspension along with Mpho Kgaswane.
The Money Machine have plenty of firepower to call on, with Thatayaone Kgamanyane in red hot form, bagging four goals in the past three games while Thero Setsile took his tally for the season to 14 with a brace against Fighters.
As for Rollers, much will be expected of veteran midfielder, Mogakolodi ‘Tsotso’ Ngele, who has been one of Rollers standout players in his first season back in Bots.
Now 32, the former Mamelodi Sundowns star loves the big occasion; they don’t come much bigger than this!
