Mochudi Centre Chiefs’ prodigal son, Dirang Moloi, returns to action this afternoon when his club takes on Mogoditshane Fighters in a be-MOBILE Premier League game at Molepolole Sports Stadium (kick off 4pm).
The young Moloi comes back from a two-match suspension having been red carded in their game against Prisons XI on November 11. This has seen him miss their games against Township Rollers and Nico United. In total Moloi has missed three of the 10 games Chiefs have played so far this season as he also sat out their game against Gaborone United due to two consecutive bookings.
Ahead of his return this afternoon, the skillful midfielder has called for protection from the referees rather than being the one on the receiving end.
“It’s good that I’m returning to action on Sunday but I’m disappointed at the way I’ve been targeted by the referees. All the cards I’ve received so far this season have been unfair. People out there can pay testimony to that. I think it is upon the referees to ensure that they protect us (skillful players) because we get kicked too much during games and it’s frustrating,” said Moloi on Friday morning.
In the absence of Moloi, some commentators argue that Chiefs have failed to click though in some games they came away with victories. The recent example is when they laboured to a 1-0 win over Nico United at SSKB Stadium last Sunday.
“The supporters are entitled to their opinions but they must understand that at the end of the day it’s all about points. I agree that we may have failed to perform to the expectations in some games but people must understand that our opponents also come with a plan to stop us,” he said.
After their slim win over Nico United, Moloi pointed out that they had managed to go back to training to rectify some of the mistakes the technical team picked.
“I believe that we’ll be at our best against Fighters but it’s not going to be an easy game. We always strive to play attractive football, which our fans expect, but like I said before at times our opponents make it impossible,” he added.
Chiefs go into this game knowing that nothing less than maximum points would be appreciated by their hard-to-please supporters. The likes of Galabgwe Moyana, Pontsho Moloi and Kekaetswe Moloi are expected to lead Chiefs’ onslaught. The trio has been in amazing form so far this season and can prove to be a nuisance when left unchecked. Though they have not been consistent this season, Fighters have proven to be tricky customers. While Chiefs remain unbeaten in 10 games, it is the Brazilians who handed Magosi their first defeat in a hotly contested second round match last season.
Fighters remain on the 14th spot in the league, having held Uniao Flamengo Santos to a 1-1 draw in their last fixture at the same venue they are meeting Chiefs this afternoon. In another game scheduled for SSKB Stadium in Mogoditshane this afternoon, BDF XI welcome unpredictable rookies Motlakase. Matebele were ruthless in their last game when they hammered Notwane 4-1 and that should serve as a warning to the rookies. The Palapye-based outfit is not a bad traveler and they are also on a high, having beaten Miscellaneous 1-0 in Phikwe last weekend.
