Africa-Press – Botswana. Eleven Angels goalkeeper coach, Kabelo Sammila has blamed the team’s 2-1 loss to Sua Flamingoes on Saturday on a spate of injuries that has rocked his side lately.
In a post-match interview, he said almost 70 per cent of the team’s regular players have sustained injuries.
“You should also bear in mind that we were playing against a losing side. It is never easy playing against such a team,” he said, adding that unlike their counterparts, his side failed to bury the chances they created.
He said in football, it is the side that scores that wins games and took solace in the fact that his side still has a chance to move up the table as the league is still congested.
The relieved Sua Flamingoes gaffer, Mandla Mpofu went lyrical about how things turned out for his side whose showing has been dismal in the country’s top-flight football.
He said he believed in his players and the entire technical team even when the chips were down.
With a lucrative sponsorship, courtesy of BOTASH, Mpofu does not see why the team cannot turn things around and become a football powerhouse.
The weekend win, according to him, should be celebrated but the side need not take their eyes off the ball, especially in the next game.
Meanwhile, the Saturday match played before a capacity crowd at the Francistown council stadium lacked the spark that was anticipated.
This is despite the favourable weather conditions that the game was played under. The two sides failed to impress on the day and the home side was mostly defensive, forcing Sua Flamingoes to shoot from long range.
However, Sua Flamingoes never relented and their efforts were paid in the 40th minute as the hard working Samuel Mokgoro headed in a beauty to give his side the lead.
The lead was, however, spoiled seven minutes later by what the Sua Flamingoes bench contended was a controversial penalty given on a silver platter to Eleven Angels.
Ofentse Ntesang easily slotted into the net the penalty to the delight of a legion of the Francistown side fans that came in large numbers. Just before the end of the first stanza, commotion ensued following Tendai Nyumasi’s dangerous tackle on Ntesang but the officials were able to quell the mayhem. Interestingly, the referee allowed Nyumasi to go scot-free with such a dangerous play.
In the second half, the two sides continued with a see-saw encounter and failed to score until the goal hungry Bame Morwalela slotted home with a header to give the Sowa Town outfit the win in the 72nd minute.
For More News And Analysis About Botswana Follow Africa-Press
