Who gets P1 million?

Gaborone is expected to once again come to a standstill when Township Rollers meet BDF XI in the 2013/14 Mascom Top 8 final at the National stadium on Saturday.

The game, with P1 million-prize money at stake has all the hallmarks of a spectacular encounter. Simply dubbed ‘Tse di tona’ the glamorous tournament is currently in its third and final edition. 

The competition has brought flair, colour and excitement to local knockout football since the demise of the Coca Cola cup. On Saturday football supporters can expect fireworks when two evenly matched teams meet for the seven-figure prize money. In BDF XI, Rollers will meet a worthy adversary capable of beating any top team in the domestic league.

BDF headcoach Elijah Chikwanda has hit the ground running after joining the army side in the second round of the beMOBILE premier league. At his disposal, the Zambian mentor has a balanced side capable of defending against deadly strikers like Top 8 top goal scorer Jerome Louis, Sekhana ‘Nandos’ Koko and Manqoba Ngwenya.

The BDF XI defense comprises of the experienced Mompati Thuma, Moreetsi Mosimanyana and Otlaantshekela Mooketsi.  To counter Ndlovu in the midfield, Chikwanda will rely on the   tried and tested talents of Boitumelo Mafoko and Patrick Motsepe. Team captain Mokgathi Mokgathi, Ofentse Mmipi and Master Masitara will be relied upon to breach the Rollers back line and score important goals. Despite being armed to the teeth BDF XI known simply as Matebele might find themselves drowning in a deep blue sea. Rollers known as Gaborone blues or Mapalastina will be all out for cup silverware.

For Ndlovu, the Saturday game will be personal since he has never tasted cup glory despite his success in the premier league. Ndlovu whose approach to football is more philosophical as he builds the team around himself, attacking from the midfield and occasionally defending in numbers. Ndlovu’s charges possess high fitness levels as they can run on the pitch all night while their opponents run out of steam. A hustler by nature, Ndlovu’s marksman Jerome Louis is expected to deliver dividends and cash in the million-pula winning goals. He (Ndlovu) too should go for an attack strategy as the combination of Louis and Koko worked wonders for him in league games.

The midfield battle is expected to be   intense, as Ndlovu will rely on the likes of veteran Lawrence Majawa while the shot stopper Mwampule Masule will have to be effective between the goal posts. Speaking at press conference in Gaborone early this week, Ndlovu said they had come a long way to reach the Top 8 final. “I have tried for many years to reach the Top 8 final and we will deal with any obstacle that will stop us from winning the cup,” he said. For his part Chikwanda said they were going all out to win the game on Saturday. “We have prepared well and home supporters will enjoy the game,” he said.