Sua Flamingoes will be out to rub salt into the wounds of an improving Eleven Angels side when the two teams flap wings in Sowa Town on Saturday.
A bad-tempered first round fixture in Francistown in December ended 2-1 in favour of the visitors, goals from Samuel Makgoro and Bame Morwalela securing the points for the Salt Boys.
Speaking to Voice Sport on Wednesday morning, the club’s outspoken Public Relations Officer (PRO), Lazarus Mafa painted a picture of Angels helplessly frying in a sizzling pan, with a sprinkle of Sua salt to complete the meal.
After their successful Christmas outing in Ghetto, Mafa’s men are hungry to serve up more pain in the pans.
“Remember Angels did the double on us last season. This is our time. We want to do that with an even bigger margin,” he declared.
Last season, making their debut in the top flight, the Angels of Aerodrome edged both encounters with Sua, following up a 3-2 away win with a 2-1 success on Ghetto’s grass.
“It’ll be a revenge seasoned to perfection, should we beat them this weekend. It’s a fixture we always look up to, and it couldn’t have arrived at a better time when our boys are finally warming up to coach Mandla Mpofu’s tactics,” Mafa told Voice Sport.
Emboldened by their recent good form, winning their last three matches in all competitions, the Botswana Ash (Botash) sponsored outfit intends to narrow the three-point gap between them and the top six.
“To be honest even the top four is within reach,” he quipped.
Flamingoes defeated Police XI 1-0 and Holy Ghost 2-0 to move into the top eight for the first time this season, before knocking Extension Gunners out of the Orange FA Cup.
“We’ve to break into the top six. That’s where we belong,” declared Mafa.
Despite Mafa’s chest beating, Eleven Angels’ charismatic coach, Seemo Mpatane was unmoved by the thin veiled threats of having his players tossed around in a frying pan.
“We’re out of the FA Cup and now our priority is the league,” began the man named after Italy national team’s highest scoring midfielder and AS Roma FC Coach, Daniele De Rossi.
Mpatane said even though they’d have liked to progress in the lucrative Orange FA Cup, being knocked out could be a blessing in disguise.
“On another day, it’s a match we could have won. We dominated play, and scored an own goal. So we bow out with our heads held high,” said Mpatane, whose side lost out to Police XI on penalties – the third time in four seasons that they’ve been eliminated by the cops.
Turning his attention to the weekend clash, the highly-rated young tactician said, “Sua are 8th, but only two points above us, and I want to believe the two points comes from the three points we gave them. We want our points back!”
Mpatane further noted for a team that lost 11 players including a goalkeeper, it is encouraging to see they’re still competing with the best.
“We deserve to be in this league. Only Angels can lose that many players and still compete. We’re a special team and we will prove that once again this Saturday,” promised Mpatane.
Unbeaten in their last four league outings, with two wins and two draws, the coach said his players have overcome their shaky start to the season and are showing signs of growth.
“They were thrown into the deep end, and had to grow quickly. It has been a good run, and we want to continue. If we can collect more points than the number of games played, we’ll be fine,” said Mpatane, whose troops can go 8th win a win in Sua.
With kick-off scheduled for 1600hrs, conditions are set to be hot, hot, hot; will Sua sizzle in the salt or will it be Angels feasting on Flamingoes? We’ll soon find out!