- This is despite playing to a home crowd
Sankoyo Bush Bucks failed to utilise its home ground advantage and collect maximum points in their first home-game, salvaging only a point against visiting Tafic Sporting Club.
The club’s fans as is common with the team’s home matches packed the Maun Sports Complex on Saturday.
Ngurungu started the game on a low gear, with Tafic piling more pressure from the start, and that paid off at the 7th minute when Nicolas Batlang opened the score sheet from a square pass, and made no mistake picking a far post to score his first goal of the season.
The Matjimenyenga boys were powered up by the goal and they continued to dominate possession and in the 19th minute Nigel Gurure missed a scoring chance in the 18 area. Batlang continued to give Sankoyo defenderstough time the entire first half though they failed to convert despite many chances at their disposal.
On the other hand, Ngurungu brought in a talented and skillful player in Kgakgamatso Juta, as the number 18 young player could at times read the game and made few important passes causing Sankoyo to play from the midfield going forward.
The game went to recess with Tafic leading by a goal to nil with the ball possession estimated around 60 to 40. In the second half, Ngurungu came with guns blazing with their midfielders keeping much of the ball possession and pressing on, often with counter attacks that resulted in an equaliser in the 49th minute by Kgakgamatso Juta.
Sankoyo nearly took the lead through Gaongalelwe Dipateletso affectionately known as GD6 by his supporters. Dipateletso’s header hit the bar before coming back to play and connected with Juta’s left foot and fired it wide off target.
The game ended 1-1 with Sankoyo leading the possession and showing much energy and strength but time and luck was not on their side for the day. Though Tafic lost much of the ball possession towards the end of the game, they posed a threat going forward.
The home side Assistant Coach Paphani Likha expressed delight over his boys’ performance, highlighting important moments of the game where they could have whipped Tafic in the second half.
“I am happy with my boys especially during the second half because they showed character and that helped us to equalize within 5 minutes of the second half and that alone shows that we can do better this season,” he told the media.
Likha expressed hope that his boys’ play can guarantees them a promotion to the elite league next season only if they can continue with the same character going into their next assignment in Kasane to meet the log leaders Mbalakalungu before welcoming Chadibe FC in Maun.
Tafic head coach Mohambi Saulosi was full of praises for his lads for having managed to get a point away from home. In his new role as coach at the club, Saulosi was impressed about the good performance the boys put up as well as their connection with him.
“We are learning to know each other in terms of my tactics at trainings and today I have seen where we need to fix going forward,” he noted.
