In their first Botswana Premier League (BPL) season, Majatlhaga finished 11th and the team is on course to break into the top half bracket this campaign.
The sixth-placed Majatlhaga will face one of their toughest tests as they come face to face with the league's second best place team, Galaxy at the Molepolole Sports Complex on Saturday afternoon.
Head coach, Mandla Mpofu is a man on a rebuild mission and believes his structure can withstand the pressure from the miners on Sunday.
The Zimbabwean tactician is in his first season in the local league after taking over the reigns at Masitaoka at the start of the season. He found a new team after the Molepolole-based side parted ways with almost half of last season’s squad. “It is a tough one on the weekend. We are facing Jwaneng and Jwaneng are a team challenging for the title.
Facing a team like that with the kind of squad we have, it is a very tough task for us. But we have a very young and hungry team and I hope we come out with positive results,” Mpofu said. The coach has seemingly worked some magic since his arrival at the Bakwena capital.
The club has put some trust in the young talent as Masitaoka has assembled one of the youngest squads in the league with an average age of 22. A fortnight ago, Masitaoka made BPL history after fielding 16-year-old Losika Ratshukudu.
The team, in the previous league tie, fielded an Under-30 team with only three players over the age of 25. Masitoaka have also managed to bag some of the eyebrow-raising results, including a 3-0 win over record league champions, Township Rollers. “It is tough; at times you play these youngsters and say maybe today I am going to embarrass the system.
(For) the first time in Premier League, we played a 16-year-old but I think they are developing very well; they are showing improvement every week. I am just impressed with the overall input; they are teachable, they are coachable. I think this is the result of their work ethic, they are putting a lot of hard work,” Mpofu said. It is just an eight-point difference between Masitaoka and their weekend’s opponents. Galaxy, however, remain unbeaten this season as they dropped points only three times in 11 games played.
They are the third highest scoring team in the league, conceding just eight, the second best defensive record in this campaign. Meanwhile, leaders Gaborone United (GU) will look to stretch their unbeaten run as they take on Prisons XI at the National Stadium tomorrow. Still on Saturday, Police XI and Holy Ghost lock horns at the Otse Stadium while BDF XI welcome Eleven Angels at the Molepolole Sports Complex.
The VTM Arena will host a clash between Mogoditshane Fighters and Sua Flamingoes as strugglers Nico United take on high-flying Orapa United at the Sam Sono Stadium. Thabo Motang will make his second debut at Extension Gunners as the team face Morupule Wanderers at the Lobatse Sports Complex. On Sunday, Rollers will be home to Security Systems at the National Stadium.
