The Sunday News
Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
FORMER Highlanders coach, Bongani Mafu is delighted after guiding his Botswana Premiership side Orapa United to the final of the Mascom Top 8 Cup where they will play against Township Rollers early next month.
Mafu found Orapa already in the semifinals and took charge of the two legged last four encounters against Gaborone United.
With a one goal advantage from the first leg after a 1-0 victory over GU, Mafu’s boys turned on the heat in the second encounter when they clobbered their opponents 4-1 away at the National Stadium in Gaborone last Saturday.
Orapa last won Top 8 Cup during the 2015/16 season under another Zimbabwean coach Madinda Ndlovu. Mafu succeeded Ndlovu who parted ways with Orapa late last year. Orapa will now play Township Rollers at a venue still yet to be announced.
Mafu said being in the final was as a result of hard working that has been put in by his players during training sessions which are held in the mornings and under floodlights.
“It’s a great feeling to be in the final. I am enjoying the hard work I put in with the morning sessions and floodlight work. We are now braced to play Rollers on 3 March, venue to be confirmed, I am not scared at all to face them,’’ said Mafu.
Since he started work at Orapa, Mafu has won two, drawn and lost one league match. Before they took on GU today, Orapa were fifth on the log with 26 points.
