Ntsako Makhubela and his Magesi teammates clebrate beating Richards Bay on Tuesday in an important Betway Premiership encounter.
Image: Backpagepix
Delighted at having registered a victory that temporarily moved them out of the bottom two on the Betway Premiership table, Magesi FC coach Owen da Gama is hopeful that his team will capitalise on their home-ground advantage in upcoming matches.
The elite league newcomers beat Richards Bay 1-0 at Seshego Stadium on Tuesday night to move up to 14th place, although that could change if Marumo Gallants beat Sekhukhune United on Wednesday night.
Da Gama welcomed the result as he looked ahead to the visit of Golden Arrows to the compact venue, where his team remains unbeaten, on Saturday.
“We are looking to make Seshego Stadium our fortress. We are happy that we get to play here, and it is working out so powerfully for us.”
After Arrows, Magesi will then host Stellenbosch FC following the Fifa break. If they bag all six points from these home matches, Dikwena will be well on their way to safety. While pleased to have beaten direct competition for survival in Richards Bay, Da Gama is well aware of the significance of their upcoming fixtures.
“These are the teams to beat — the ones you are competing against. And Richards Bay is a very good team. Sometimes, your position on the table does not reflect where you should be. But for us, whether we are playing a team at the bottom or one at the top, every game is a cup final.”
To win those cup finals, Da Gama, who has coached numerous clubs across the country, emphasized the need for all his players to be available. He lamented the absence of a few key figures due to injuries.
“We’ve been unfortunate with injuries. One of our best players, Wonderboy Makhubo, is out. Then it was Samuel Darpoh, and then Lehlohonolo Mtshali was also out.
"We knew we were going to struggle because Kayden Rademeyer and Tlou Masegela haven’t played in a long time, and we could see them tiring late in the match. But they covered every blade of grass and worked very hard.
“From a tactical perspective, we neutralised them in the middle, and they had to resort to long balls. But the boys defended resolutely, and for me, that is a good sign — if you can defend a lead,” Da Gama said, following a victory secured through an eighth-minute goal by Delano Abrahams.
“We just need a little bit of consistency, and once the injured players are back, we’ll be able to put on a better show.”