Rollers feeling the pressure

Township Rollers spokesperson Bafana Pheto says it is not easy to be an established league giant that is Rollers. All teams are after Rollers’ blood, he says. Speaking ahead of their game against archrivals Mochudi Centre Chiefs (MCC) in Gaborone today, Pheto explained that there is immense pressure on their shoulders that comes with playing underdogs, especially with the league now coming to an end. “When our opponents prepare for games, they target big teams like us, they want either a win or a draw and this means that the game will be very intense and full of surprises,” he said. It does not help that Rollers are the defending champions and downing a champion is what most young teams enjoy bragging about to boost their confidence. However, with MCC, it is a different ball game altogether as their rivalry dates back to the olden days. Pheto said that they face a wounded Chiefs, coming from another tough assignment in the far areas of Chobe. Rollers narrowly defeated Kazungula Fighters in the Orange FA Cup tournament this past weekend. Pheto said it is because they were playing in a different environment that somehow impacted on their play. He acknowledged that the current team performance was not top notch as they often realize a few downfalls. Having lost out in defending the Mascom Top 8 trophy, Rollers is hoping to at least win the 2019 league title. Adding to their worries, Pheto said it proves difficult to play the league, cup tournament and honour national team call -ups. The players, he said often show signs of fatigue, “It is not an excuse and I believe those in charge of fixtures are also chasing their own deadlines. In fact, FIFA says 48 hours rest is enough for players so we should soldier on,” he said. Rollers is amongst teams that often has a high number of players participating at national team level and with the CHAN qualifiers coming up next week, the likes of Segolame Boy and Tumisang Orebonye will probably be travelling to Seychelles with coach Mogomotsi Mpote.