09 Jan 2018

Orapa United will not put pressure on the new head coach Bongani Mafu to bring instant success to the club.

The club’s spokesperson Kabo William explained on Tuesday that the Ostriches hierarchy was not expecting Mafu to challenge for the BTC Premiership title this season after finding the team in position six and 14 points behind log leaders Township Rollers.

Former Mochudi Centre Chiefs coach Mafu was appointed to the helm of the Boteti side on a two-year contract last week as a replacement for Madinda Ndlovu, who guided the team to Mascom Top 8 Cup success in 2016, which was their first piece of major silverware.

“He is not under pressure to win the league this season. He has taken over when the league was already on and we will give him time to build the team.

However, the league is still on and we will continue fighting. We are still in the Mascom Top 8 and I believe any team can win it,” William explained in an interview.

William said they have set the coach a top four target in the league, adding they expect Mafu to have built a competitive side at the beginning of next season and be able to go all out for the league.

Meanwhile, United announced this week that they have released five senior players as they continue making changes to the team.

The released players are midfielders Kemmy Pilato and Letumile Molebatsi, defenders Bogosi Kaekwe and Mooketsi Hlabano as well as Mogomotsi Samson.

William said there were no immediate plans to go into the market to replace the five players.

He said the team has five players from its development squad which the technical team was assessing to see if they could replace the departed players.  

He said the only player they were looking to sign was former Gilport Lions defender Mosimanegape Ntwaetsile who was undergoing medicals in Orapa on Tuesday.

William added that Mafu was assessing the material at his disposal and would make recommendations to the management where he thinks the team needs to be strengthened. ENDS