Battle lines have been drawn and the Molepolole Sports Complex will be the battlefield of choice this coming Sunday when Township Rollers host BMC.
With both teams still yet to lose a game in the current be Mobile Premier League campaign, all eyes will be on the weekend’s clash to see who will lose their nerve first. With the winner of the clash guaranteed to stay at the top of the league log, both the two teams’ coaches have promised a very scintillating and attacking game when they come face to face come Sunday.
While the teams’ injury problems are well documented and with each having influential players on national duty, both Madinda Ndlovu of Rollers and Daniel Chico Nare say no excuses will be entertained when their teams come face to face in what is a top of the table clash.
For the past games, Rollers and BMC have seen their players spend more time on the doctors’ bed than on the playing field, but this has not deterred them in their pursuit of league glory.
Among Rollers’ injured list are the central defence pairing of Oscar Ncenga and Leutlwetse Tshireletso, winger Sekhana Koko and midfielder Godfrey Ngele.
On the other hand, the team’s exciting attacking player, Segolame Boy and Obonye Moswate, have not trained with the team for the past couple of days as they are on national duty.
Speaking in an interview, Ndlovu said the current situation is not foreign to Rollers and will not be used as an excuse.
“Our injury list is worrisome, yes, but injuries are expected in football. This is why we have such a great pool of players to call on when the need arises as has been the case in the past three or so games,” the Rollers’ coach explained.
He said in the absence of seasoned campaigners like Ncenga and Tshireletso, they have called on the services of youngsters like Simisane Mathumo and Bogosi Kaekwe and they have done well and have only conceded a single goal in their last three outings,” Ndlovu said.
The Rollers mentor said should Boy and Moswate be unavailable for the weekend’s clash, replacements will also be found for them.
On the flipside, things are not looking any better for BMC either with at least five players struggling with injury while their trusted forward Kenanao Kgetholetsile has not been with the team due to national team duties.
Among those that have been struggling with injury for BMC are Moatlhodi Ndana, Sageby Sandaka, Boitshoko Zikhale, Kago Segokgo and Nqobile Mpala.
According to Nare, the injuries will not be used as an excuse when his charges come face to face with the league leaders on Sunday.
“We have injuries, but Rollers have also had a long list of injuries also. As for players on national duty, they also have Boy and Moswate on national duty, so we are on the same situation,” Nare said.
Concerning the injuries, the flamboyant BMC coach said they will be monitoring the progress of their injured as the week goes on and will have an idea of who will be available before the end of this week.
With both teams boasting good defences and forwards, both coaches have promised that they will not sacrifice their playing philosophies when they meet at the weekend. “As with any other team we have played against, we will go into the clash with all respect for our opponents but we will not fear them. We have objectives and targets as a team and we will go into the game looking to conquer,” Ndlovu said.
The feeling is shared by Nare who said his team will not change its playing philosophy when they meet Rollers.
“This will be a game of chess between the two benches. I hold Ndlovu in high regards, not just as a coach but also as a brother. As with our last encounter when they came from behind to hold us to a draw, I foresee an end to end affair between our sides,” Nare said. The game starts at 1600 hrs.
