Young Stars optimistic despite hitting blanks again
Boitumelo Khutsafalo | Tuesday November 12, 2024 14:09
They suffered their second successive defeat in the First Division South league this past weekend, this time against Police XI who scored one goal in each half. In their first match of the season, a fortnight ago, Young Stars lost 1-0 to new comers, Magosi FC at home in Jwaneng. The results have since sparked some talk about what could be happening considering that they won the league just last season. They, however, decided to sell their Premier League status to Extension Gunners and remained in the lower division
. Moseki says his current team consists mostly of young players who are still developing. “We are trying not to put more pressure on these young boys because they are still developing and I have to protect them as a coach. As you know, this team is a developmental team and players that are ready to leave, we allow them to do so. So most of these players were there in the team last season but they were not regulars. I am giving them the chance to play and it will take some time before they gel but today’s performance is what we can work on,” he said. Moseki said he was happy with how they controlled the game, particularly in the second half but were unlucky to concede the second goal. “These boys are still young and when they concede a goal, they easily lose focus but I am proud of their performance altogether,” Moseki said.
Young Stars are currently sitting on position 11 on the league table without a single point and yet to score a goal after two matches. Police XI broke the deadlock on the 12th minute from the spot after Young Stars were penalised for handling the ball inside the box. Police XI captain, Boemo Lekorwe, stepped up and calmly slotted the ball past Young Stars’ goalkeeper, Isaac Moyo. The second goal came in the 84th minute through Lucas Motlopi at a time when Young Stars were dominating possession and creating numerous chances. However, they were let down by poor decision making in the final third. Police XI assistant coach, Tony Serumola, on the other hand said they are happy with the victory although they did not play a convincing game. “We had to win this game at all costs more so that we lost our first game against Sand Diamonds. To be honest, we cannot blame our players for the loss against Sand Diamonds because of the condition of the pitch,” Serumola said. He said although it is still too early to make promises, their target is to make an immediate return to the elite league. The victory took the Jungle Kings to position five on the log with three points.