It will still be everyone’s game when Eleven Angels host Mochudi Centre Chiefs in Francistown in the second leg of the Botswana Premier League (BPL) this coming weekend.
This fact was not lost to both coaches of the two promotion chasing sides after playing to an entertaining goalless draw during the first leg of the encounter at Chiefs’ River Plate home ground this past Sunday.
As it was this past Sunday, both coaches are aware that home ground advantage will count for less when the two sides meet again. Both admitted the two teams will now be acquainted after playing their first ever game against each other.
In what was a game of two halves, it was the enterprising youthful brigade of who started the brighter of the two, only for Chiefs to come back stronger in the second half.
Playing away in a hostile and fully packed River Plate ground, Angels looked intent on bullying Chiefs to silence the vociferous Chiefs supporters and they did it in style in the first twenty minutes.
This would have pleased their coach Seemo Mpatane, who said he had instructed his young charges to silence the crowd. The plan worked well as Angels not only matched their illustrious opponents but also created some few chances.
Seemingly oblivious of the taunts from the crowd, Angels, led upfront by 18-year-old Monty Enosa, floated and hovered dangerously over their much more fancied and illustrious opponents.
“What we had to do was to keep our structure and make sure they do not come to us. After keeping the structure, everytime we had the ball in the first 20 minutes we manipulated the structure and every time we did that, we created chances which on a good day we could have taken two or three of them,” Mpatane observed.
If there is anything, both the two teams’ technical teams would have appreciated how good their opponents were. In his post-match interview, Chiefs assistant coach Tlhowe acknowledged that both sides were equally good, the same view offered by Angels gaffer Mpatane.
“We had this feeling that Angels were a good side and would play hard. I never doubted them because like us, they finished second in their league. I always believed we might be equally good, and I still maintain they are a formidable side,” Tlhowe said.
“We had expected to get out of this game with a win but we could not achieve that. We now have to go back, prepare and go to Francistown intent on winning. We still believe we will gain promotion. It is in our own hands,” Tlhowe explained.
For his part, Mpatane said the tie is still open heading to the second leg in Francistown. “We are just happy we did not lose. They did not lose either. So the tie is still open,” he observed.
He however said while they will be a little more adventurous when home, they will not throw caution to the wind and go all out and open up as this is still a close tie. “Both teams are good teams. But we will be as adventurous as possible,” he concluded.
