27 Sep 2018

Prisons XI coach Philemon Makhwengwe says his team has used its first five matches to acclimatise to tough competition in the BTC Premiership.

The ‘Warders’ returned to top flight football this season for the first time since the 2012/13 season.

After six matches, they have accumulated five points from a single victory against Sankoyo Bush Bucks and two draws against Police XI and Mochudi Centre Chiefs. They have suffered three defeats to Jwaneng Galaxy, BDF XI and Extension Gunners.

Makhwengwe, who is in his second season at the helm of Prisons, has had to rely mostly on players who did duty for the team in the first division to engineer survival in the more competitive BTC Premiership.

Though the team has a number of players with prior BTC Premiership experience such as Kebatshabile Monthe, Tiroyaone Maome, Percy More, Moeti Bontshetse, Mokuye Shakambayo and Tshepiso Matshuba, most of them had limited playing time at their previous clubs.

Only goalkeeper Ontiretse Gaotlhobogwe and attacking midfielder David Makakaba have fought many battles in the BTC Premiership before.

In an interview after their 1-1 stalemate with Chiefs on Tuesday, Makhwengwe said his plan was to give his team the first five matches as ‘pre-season’ for the boys to acclimatise to the BTC Premiership.

“I still want the players to develop the mental strength and concentration to compete.

We will acclimatise and improve on the mindset.

We will improve on varying play between direct football and possession football and we will get at teams,” he said.

He further said the other task he was facing was to change the perception of his players concerning officiating. He said in the first division, the players had a perception that some officials targeted the ‘Warders’ because they were an institutional team.

“We came from the lower division with the mentality that they were certain officials who wanted to have a go at us because we are an institutional team. So I am trying to make them forget about match officials and focus on their game,” said Makhwengwe.

The highly qualified coach said his team was hard done by the referee against Chiefs when two penalty appeals were turned down by the whistle man after Mopati Motshudi and Taelo Nthomiwa appeared to be fouled inside the penalty area.

“There was contact in both instances and he thought they were simulating and had dived. But we should forget about the referee and concentrate on our game,” he said.

Prisons’ next match is against BR Highlanders at the Otse Police Stadium on 6 October. Ends