When they got promotion to the Be MOBILE Premier League in May, Wonder Sporting Club’s head coach Sthanda Mogwadi promised that his side would not disappoint their fans. He promised good football coupled with goals but that is still to happen in their opening three games. Wonder Sporting sit second from the bottom having lost all the games. The SSG-based outfit has lost to Notwane (1-3), Gaborone United (0-1) and defending champions Mochudi Centre Chiefs (1-2).
It was the defeat to Chiefs on a chilly Sunday afternoon at the SSKB Stadium in Mogoditshane which has brought panic to their fans especially that the other two rookies FC Satmos and Orapa United seem to be enjoying life in the limelight.┬á Against Chiefs, Wonder made six changes to the team which lost Gaborone United and they started the game like house on fire. Led by veteran striker Duncan Kgopolelo, the policemen showed the expensively assembled Chiefs’side little respect. But as it has been the case in their previous two games, Wonder SC strikers lacked the killer instinct to unlock the suspect Chiefs’rearguard.┬á Wonder got their opening goal towards the end of the first half when Kgopolelo pounced on the loose ball to beat Chiefs’goalkeeper Raphael Nthwane.
It was Wonder’s first time to take a lead in a game since their promotion and they went into the break sitting on a 1-0 lead. But what promised to be their day got messed up a minute after the restart when midfielder Lesego Galenamotlhale equalised for the national champions. The nippy midfielder capitalised on Wonder’s defensive errors to beat goalkeeper Bokamoso Moeba.
Chiefs’equaliser seemed to break Wonder as their defensive errors increased in a game which was played under cloudy conditions. Chiefs got the winner minutes later when Onalethata Tshekiso benefited from another howler. Wonder were lucky not to be buried under avalanche of goals as their goalkeeper Moeba was outstanding in between the sticks. After round three, Wonder have conceded six goals, an average of two goals per game.
Despite the defeat, Wonder head coach Mogwadi is not a worried man. “Against Chiefs luck was not on our side as we could have wrapped up the game in the first half. We matched them in all the departments but we could not score the goals. I told my boys at halftime to concentrate in the opening 10 minutes of the second half so that Chiefs could be frustrated. Unfortunately, Chiefs hit us from the start and after that things fell apart,” said Mogwadi after the game. After failing to collect any point from the opening games, Mogwadi said that their life has been made difficult by the kind of opposition they have faced. “Unlike other promoted sides (FC Satmos and Orapa United), we have faced tougher opposition. Overall we have played well but results have not been forthcoming. I’m confident that very soon things will come right and once we get the maximum points, we’ll get strong,” he added. Mogwadi pointed out that there is a need for his side to get another marksman in January in order to bury the chances they create during games.
“We need to be clinical if we want to win games but that’s where we have been lacking. The other thing is that we need to get a defender who will command and bring stability to our defence. Maybe it is the time that we bring back Ndiyapo Letsholathebe (who is on loan to BDF XI). It is something we need to discuss because it is clear that experience is needed at the back,” Mogwadi continued.
This afternoon Wonder SC return back to SSKB Stadium to take on fire BDF XI. At Lobatse Stadium on Saturday afternoon, rookies Orapa United enjoyed a good run in top flight when they narrowly beat Extension Gunners 1-0. Another newly promoted side FC Satmos beat Flamengo Santos 3-2 in Selebi-Phikwe on Friday night.
