Mogoditshane gets a hiding

FC Broadhurst 9
Mogoditshane SDA FC 2

FC Broadhurst's free flowing football that culminated in the 9-2 demolition of Mogoditshane during last Sunday's encounter at Mogoditshane S.D.A FC's desert like pitch, poured water on Mogoditshane's squad rebuilding exercise.

For a team trying to rise from the ashes like the legendary Phoenix bird, such a drubbing in their backyard, drains the fight in the veins of Mogoditshane. There is still a long way to go for Mogoditshane as evidenced by their lack to over run an FC Broadhurst team that started match with 6 men on the pitch; it was a typical script for a wrestling handicap match whose obvious result is the disadvantaged team winning.

With six men Broadhurst holding a hapless Mogoditshane to a scoreline of two goals apiece, it needed not a rocket scientist to state that at full strength Broadhurst would rout their hosts. The game had many talking points with the epitome being Zeal's sterling performance: he did not shout at the referee and the opponents, he let his boots do the talking and when he was substituted the opposition bench joined Coach Bongs in congratulating him by clapping in appreciation.

As the game wore on, Mogoditshane won a penalty after Parkers made a late challenge on striker Mpho in the 18 yard area. Up stepped Maqhawe, arguably Mogoditshane's out standing player on the afternoon, with a posture of a premier league player it was a given that he would try to bring sanity to the scoreline which stood at 6-2 at that time by putting the ball beyond Thando's reach but alas and behold a breath taking acrobatic save from Thando denied Maqhawe a chance to hog the limelight.

Maqhawe who was already visualizing tomorrow's newspaper headlines let fly from his right boot a shot of blistering pass which at half way towards the goal curled towards the left bottom corner and clearly headed for the nets but the agile Thando had a couple of lessons to teach Maqhawe.

For once, Broadhurst had seven people on the bench an indication of the team's increasing strength. Mozy, Toffy, Simba, Tiego, Tinz, Tawurai and Tshepang were the substitutes who came in the second half for Broadhurst.

Broadhurst's goals came from every where with its midfielders chipping in with goals while the defence kept a line of defence that closed the gap between itself and the midfield therefore chocking Mogoditshane of space to manoeuvre. This strategy saw defenders like Tawu exchange passes with midfielders and setting up goals.

With a midfield solidly anchored by Ronny, Broadhurst toyed around with her host and like FC Barcelona, the Spanish Champions, Broadhurst played possession football punctuated by little triangular passes, mesmerizing off the ball runs and magical moments of individual brilliance.

The only blemish on Broadhurst's performance on the day was their inability to keep time. The agreed time for kick off was 9 am but the match had to start at 10:30 am as Mogoditshane threatened to call off the match, hence Broadhurst started the match five men short. At the appointed time, Benjamin, the team's fixtures manager, was playing romantic husband at home as he was preparing breakfast for his wife who was in bed.

But he atoned for his late coming by grabbing a hatrick. He made light work of Mudhawu the much fancied Mogoditshane hard tackling and often referred to as a "no nonsense defender." Many a spectator would have fancied Mudhawu to win the dual with Benji but the latter has quick long feet. With Mudhawu left for dead, Benji had the easiest of tasks of scoring though he believes in volleying thunderbolts past the goalie even when the easier thing to do is to calmly place the ball far and wide out of the reach of the keeper.