Galaxy are within touching distance winning a league and cup double while Orapa mean to end their four-year trophy drought
GAZETTE REPORTER
Orapa United and Jwaneng Galaxy are set to headline the 2024 Orange FA Cup Final in a high-impact game that will kick off at 3pm at Obed Itani Chilume Stadium in Francistown this weekend.
The two Debswana-sponsored clubs will battle it out for the P800 000 prize money in Season 5 of the competition and a chance to win the trophy for different personal reasons for their coaches.
A lot at stake
Jwaneng Galaxy has reached the finals of the Orange FA Cup on the fifth instance of trying after being knocked out in the early rounds in previous years (2019, 2020 and 2022, 2023).
For Morena Ramoreboli who joined the club in 2021, it is his first cup final in Botswana on the third time of trying. In Seasons 1 and 2, Galaxy were knocked out in the semi-finals prior to his arrival.
Touching distance
In Ramoreboli’s debut season in the competition (in 2022), he led his club to the quarterfinals before falling short in the quarterfinals again last year.
Having lifted the Botswana Football League trophy and the Mascom Top 8 in recent years, the Orange FA Cup is the only trophy that Galaxy are yet to conquer in the club’s history.
They are now within touching distance winning a league and cup double for the first time, if they prevail against Orapa.
Orapa the first
For Orapa, a cup triumph against Galaxy would end a four-year trophy drought. The Orapa side were the first team to win the rebranded Orange FA Cup trophy when then Mogomotsi Mpote-led side won 3-0 against Township Rollers in 2020.
The club’s head coach, Tiiso Gadimang, won the 2019 tournament as part of the coaching staff by virtue of being one of Mpote’s assistants and is now in line to win his first major honour as head coach.
How they got here
Both clubs have had difficult passages to the final as they had to break a sweat in their semi-final ties. Galaxy booked their place in the final after beating UB Hawks while Orapa got the better of Francistown club, TAFIC.
Galaxy made hard work of their semi-final win as they encountered a well drilled and complex UB Hawks at the National Stadium last month. Both sides could not be separated as a goalless draw at halftime pointed to a tough match.
Msendami to the rescue
Forward Daniel Msendami settled the tight affair against the lower league side when his 73rd minute strike eased fears within the Galaxy camp while rattling the previously resolute Hawks.
The goal proved enough to send Galaxy through while the Hawks could only pride themselves in having compelled the country’s top team to struggle.
Galaxy’s Kutlwelo Mpolokang was the standout performer on the day and was duly handed the Man of the Match award after a stellar display.
Tricky affair against TAFIC
Orapa also secured a narrow victory in the semi-final as they won 2-1 against TAFIC. The last four encounter was as tight as the semi-final fixture between Galaxy and the Hawks. Orapa’s Gofaone Mabaya opened the scoring in the first minute of the game to give his side an edge.
TAFIC stayed competitive throughout the first half but could not find an equaliser before the break. In the 52nd minute, they were rewarded for their persistence as former Orapa player Onkabetse Makgantai levelled the cup tie to bring his side back into the game.
Orapa then proved to be the more clinical of the two clubs as the match approached its climax when Eric Ookame scored the winner as the game seemed headed for extra time.
Ookame’s 87th minute strike was his second goal in successive Orange FA Cup games as he had previously found the net against Township Rollers in the quarterfinals.