The Voice (Francistown)
Monnakgotla Mojaki
29 April 2008
As all roads lead to the National Stadium tomorrow, Saturday, it would not be because the boys in green are showing their best weapons and skills. Yes, it is BDF Day. But the real journey to the stadium for Gaborone natives would be to see the battle of the Blues and the Reds.
The oldest Gaborone derby is on; and it is when long-time rivals, Gaborone United meet Township Rollers. The two Gaborone teams come into the game with GU on form and number two on the log while Rollers are lying sixth and not in a place many of their spectators want to see it in.
While 'The Money Machine', as GU is affectionately known, put three past their weekend opponents Nico United, away in Selibe Phikwe, Rollers only managed a two-all draw with Tasc, away in Francistown also. United chairman, Kelisitse Gilika, admits that this derby is an important happening in the football family.
"This is a supreme game; our people want nothing less than a win when we play Rollers. As for incentives, we have a standard fee that we give our players. We don't believe in giving one game too much attention because it puts a lot of pressure on our players.
We learnt from what we did last year and we can't repeat the same mistake," Gilika said to Voice Sport Rollers mouthpiece, Molatlhegi Mangole, believes the game between Rollers and GU start from the bedrooms as husbands and wives are divided. "This game is the direction of Botswana football and everybody is born being a Rollers or GU fan, and change as and when work pressures and other commitments press.
Both teams have youthful management. If we don't beat GU, our ancestors won't be happy," Mangole told Voice Sport ahead of the Saturday's encounter Gilika, on the other hand, says this time around they are on form and it's not by chance as their three-year development plan that is in its second year is now paying. "This is not magic or juju. We now have over 90 percent of the team as professionals and have a good set-up not just the coach. We have almost all our players on the clubs payroll and they have good accommodation and even train twice a day.
We complement each others' efforts to make things simple for us. We also have roped in a certified personal trainer, Thuto Thuto, who is working with the technical team and is doing a good job.
So when we play Rollers it won't be just a game but a continuation of our good plan which will surely give as a win and put smiles on our fans' faces," Gilika said. But Mangole insists they can't loose to GU as they showed it even in the first round. "When we employ a coach we don't make it a secret to him that if they don't beat GU their job is not safe. We are taking all our machine guns and directing all of them to GU. If we loose this game it will kill out reputation even for next season. We don't care whether they are on rampage or who is coaching them.
We will give them a technical test just like we did to Santos and Centre Chiefs. Nobody gave us a chance against these teams but we scared them, so now it is time to technically paralyze GU," a confident Mangole declared. The pressure of a derby has also gone to players. United's Tshepho Sgela Molefhe, a former Rollers player, believes a derby is indeed a very big game and it can even go down to players. "I don't have anything to prove to Rollers but they owe me because they have beaten me twice since I moved to United, so I believe it is time I return the favour. I also want to beat them because they are my childhood team," Molefhe said on Wednesday as he was preparing to pass a late fitness test.
His former goalie at Rollers, Lesego Moeng, agrees that all derbies are special but not a pressure game completely but rather special. "Everybody gets excited and works hard from training; nobody wants to loose. I also don't know what makes me want to win it more than all the other games. We haven't done well in the past game but you can't use that as a yard stick to what will happen in a derby," Moeng said. Molefhe knows just how much Popa, as Rollers fans hail their team, wants the win against GU. "You also don't rule out the possibility of a more lucrative bonus.
It is normally tough for me because teams have realised the team plays around me and I am always tight marked. The coach sometimes rests me and brings me in in the second half or anytime when it's tougher so I can't wait to play Rollers," he said. Moeng is honest enough to admit they need the game more than United because they are not in a good position. "We have to win at all costs, no matter what happens. I believe we will do something to them very quickly and finish them off," Moeng said.
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