Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Lebohang Maboe has reacted to his third straight Man of the Match accolade following their 3-1 win over Orbit College FC in their Betway Premiership tie on Monday afternoon.
The Soweto giants continued with their fine form, extending their unbeaten run to three games in the Betway Premiership. The match between the Soweto giants and the North West side took place at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha.
Despite the final scoreline, Amakhosi didn’t have it all their own way. Orbit College were the first team to break the deadlock in the 22nd minute through Mbulelo Wagaba.
Chiefs, however, showed resilience. Wandile Duba found an equaliser just before the half-time whistle in the 42nd minute. The second stanza belonged entirely to the Glamour Boys, with Mduduzi Shabalala finding the net in the 68th minute before Siphesihle Ndlovu sealed the three points in the 78th minute.
This latest award completes a hat-trick of individual honours for Maboe, who was also named the Man of the Match in Chiefs’ previous two outings against Magesi FC [2-0] and Durban City FC [1-0] last month.
‘I’M JUST A MERE RECIPIENT’: LEBOHANG MABOE
Speaking in a post-match interview, a humble Maboe shifted the spotlight away from his personal milestone and onto the squad’s collective work.
“You know, I’m just a mere recipient of this award, honestly. It goes to the hard work that we have put in as a team and helping one another,” Maboe told SuperSport TV.
“We all played in the same direction and [I] just happened to receive the award. But great work by my teammates.”
The former Mamelodi Sundowns man acknowledged that the team lacked rhythm in the opening stages but praised their mental fortitude to overturn the deficit.
“I’m very excited about the performance. Well, we didn’t start the game well, especially in the first 20 minutes. But we kept on fighting and never gave up,” he added.
“I think the most important thing is that we kept pushing and believing that we were going to turn this game around. I think we saw that we didn’t start the game well, and it was a matter of saying, ‘Hey, gents, let’s wake up. Let’s get that first goal.'”
Maboe noted that as the match progressed, Chiefs’ persistence allowed them to take control of the contest.
“We noticed that they were getting a little bit tired in the second half and kept wanting more, and we managed to produce great teamwork out there,” he concluded.
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