- They fell two opponents in a row to reclaim the apex position in BPL title race
- Their tight fixtures resulted from Galaxy’s unrewarded campaign in CAF champions league
GAZETTE REPORTER
Jwaneng Galaxy have regained control of the Botswana Football League title race after recording two important victories in the space of four days to return to the top of the table.
Galaxy currently lead second placed Township Rollers with a single point but also have a game in hand that could see them command a four-point lead if they win it.
The reigning league champions are aiming to become the third team to successfully defend the league title in the last 12 seasons, following in the footsteps of Township Rollers and Mochudi Centre Chiefs, if they win this season’s league title.
Playing catch-up
The Jwaneng outfit are currently playing catch-up with the rest of the league in terms of matches played after their participation in the CAF Champions League presented them with a tight fixture schedule.
Galaxy had to play a rescheduled game against BDF XI last Wednesday and a game against TAFIC on Saturday.
Morena Ramoreboli’s side beat BDF XI 1-0 with Thabang Sesinyi scoring the deciding goal. They followed their narrow victory with a more comfortable 2-0 win over TAFIC at the Galaxy Stadium, again with Sesinyi’s talented toes and Thero Setsile adding the second goal last Saturday.
Rollers pressure
Galaxy had to win the TAFIC game as title-chasing Rollers had won their encounter against Police XI a day earlier (Friday) to pile pressure on their rivals. The clubs are separated by a point with up to 12 games left until the season ends.
Although the 2-0 victory over TAFIC looked like a routine win on paper, Ramoreboli suggested that his team had to work extra hard to thwart the threat posed by the Francistown side on the day.
The South African coach lauded TAFIC for their unpredictable approach and complex tactical set-up. He reasoned that after TAFIC recently defeated a top three club in Gaborone United, underestimating them would have been a huge mistake.
Very tall
“We knew that it was not going to be an easy match,” he noted in a post-match interview. “We were playing against a very competitive team. We knew that they would have Onkabetse Makgantai supporting the main striker, but they played more of a 4-5-1 formation.
“They made sure that they connected quickly with their main striker. They played good football, especially with two centre-backs who could keep the ball.
“They were always aiming to win every second ball, going wide and hoping for a set-piece because they are very tall. They had their moments and threatened us most of the time.”