Chadibe, Motlakase coaches under spotlight
Chakalisa Dube | Friday May 17, 2024 11:06
All fixtures will be played tomorrow with second-placed Motlakase at home to BR Highlanders, who are out of the title race. Leaders, Chadibe take the long trip to Kasane to face rookies, Mbalakalungu. Until last weekend's fixtures, Motlakase led the standings but dropped to second following a home draw against Peace Makers.
Chadibe won at home against struggling Santa Green and ascended to the summit of the table. Both sides are on 37 points but Chadibe are on top by virtue of a superior goal difference. Should Motlakase win on Saturday and Chadibe fail to get maximum points in Kasane, Gaokogorwe will enter the history books as the only person to gain promotion to the Premier League with the Palapye-based outfit as a player and coach.
Motlakase can also secure promotion with a draw if the hosts triumph against Chadibe. Gaokgorwe, who is in his second major spell as a coach, having coached Black Forest last season, was amongst the last players to win promotion to the Premier League with Motlakase in 2014. He was the captain of the team at the time.
“It will be a special moment for me (to gain promotion with the team as a player and a coach).
Other technical team members deserve praise as well because they have also contributed significantly to what we have achieved thus far.
The goal is to help the club win promotion but there is still much work to do,” the former Sua Flamingoes player and youth coach said. On the other hand, Sonny will also achieve a rare feat if Chadibe gains promotion on Saturday. A win with a good margin would be enough to send Chadibe to the top flight.
If he is successful, Sonny will have won promotion to the Premier League for two consecutive seasons, as he achieved the feat with TAFIC last season. Sonny also won promotion to the First Division with Chobe United a few years ago. He was also an assistant coach at Eleven Angels when the club won promotion to the Premier League three years ago. “I am humbled by what I have achieved since I became a coach. I attribute my success to a lot of reading and research that I often do. I also consult other coaches a lot. In a nutshell, I work very hard, and I am always eager to improve,” he said.
Sonny also turned his attention to the weekend match against Mbalakalungu. “Heading to the weekend match focus has not been much on tactics. I have been working hard on their mentality. I don’t want them to be consumed by the pressure and thought of winning the league. They have to take it easy,” he said. Meanwhile, Sankoyo also stand a chance at winning promotion back to the elite league. However, their hopes rest on what will happen between Motlakase and Chadibe. Sankoyo, who will be away to Santa Green, are on 35 points, two behind Motlakase and Chadibe.
For this reason, they must win with the hope that their two rivals lose their respective fixtures. Former Premier League side, Green Lovers appear to be heading to the less fashionable Division One league. They occupy the second relegation spot. Pilikwe United have already been relegated. Like Sankoyo, Lovers’ destiny is not in their own hands. They will have to win with an avalanche of goals and hope that Calendar Stars defeat fellow relegation candidates Makungulupeswa at home with a huge score line. Lovers have accumulated 19 points, whilst Makungulupeswa are on 22 points. Makungulupeswa also have a slightly healthier goal difference.