03 Apr 2017

Chobe United coach, Motlhokomedi Mombala has expressed gratitude towards his team’s spirited performance so far this season.

Maragakwena, as the Kasane-based outfit are affectionately known in football circles, have garnered 30 points from 20 games so far, winning nine games, drawing three and losing eight games and are currently placed fifth on the log table.

Having only been newly promoted from the second tier league beginning of the current season, Mombala said it was only right for them to consolidate their stay in the first division first this season before anything else.

Quizzed if it is safe to talk about his team challenging for automatic promotion next season, Mombala vowed that it had always been their plan to seek promotion on their second season.

He said this in an interview after their uninspiring goalless stalemate away to fourth placed BR Highlanders.
Commenting on the game Mombala said they knew that Highlanders were under enormous pressure to win the game and they planned to sit back, absorb them and eventually catch them on counter attacks.

Even though, they came with a depleted squad due to some of his players’ new work commitments, he said he was happy with the performance on the day as gaining a point on the road for them was something to be celebrated.

However, his opposite number Oris Radipotsane pointed out their main downfall was not converting clear cut chances they had been creating.

He added that the weekend draw was their eighth game without a win, with all these due to missing scoring opportunities.

Also, he conceded that the second round of the league had been tougher for them compared to their eighth win in the first round of the season.

Radipotsane further attributed such fluctuating results to internal matters within their team management saying most of his players were not happy in the team due to late salary payments.

He also admitted that mathematically and realistically they were out of the race to gain automatic promotion to the BTC Premiership as the furthest they could go was only 42 points,  which TAFIC had already surpassed.

Asked if he still will be in charge of Highlanders next season, Radipotsane said he was still unsure of his future with the club.

However, he said until some issues were attended to and ironed out, he would be ready to take a decision. ENDS