Typically, Majombolo were down for the count, and with the referee ready to hit the deck for the decisive slap, Nico kicked back.
The arrival of former Zebras coach, Mogomotsi ‘Teenage’ Mpote has galvanised a side that was lacking in direction and confidence. Defeat after defeat rained on the hapless former mining town side. But Mpote, who arrived in February, has provided the missing spark and impetus needed to drag Majombolo out of a dark tunnel. Just three weeks ago, on April 19 to be precise, Nico anchored the Premier League log with hopes of a rescue fast fading. But a week later, there were probably season-defining changes for Majombolo and its followers. A 3-1 win over TAFIC in the northern derby saw Nico move off the foot of the table for the first time in months.
Soon after the match at the Francistown Council Stadium, Mpote declared that Nico would survive relegation. Last Saturday, Nico registered back-to-back victories for the first time this season, handing Sua Flamingoes a similar 3-1 defeat, to firmly restore hopes of survival. “We are now in a better position,” Mpote told MmegiSport yesterday.
Majombolo have made rapid progress, jumping from the bottom to 11th in a space of three weeks. However, danger is still lurking as they are only a point above the relegation spot. “I am confident that we will survive although we are still swimming,” Mpote said of his side’s swim-or-sink situation. “When I arrived, we were not playing competitively. I had to bring them up and make them have that belief. There is a difference between First Division and the PremierLeague standards,” he said. Mpote said tactical discipline has been key to the changes with his team now able to effectively attack its opponents.
“The best form of defence is attack. Our opponents know that we can score and hurt them. I had to work on attack and defence and said at least if we lose, it should be by a single goal,” the former Township Rollers coach said. Mpote believes that his experience with the junior national teams, Rollers, Orapa United, and the Zebras has put the team in good stead. “It is working for me that I have that experience. It makes the boys confident. Some were getting some of the tactics for the first time and it has made them believe that we can turn the situation,” Mpote said. With seven games and 21 points to play for Mpote admitted there is still a long way in the relegation fight. However, the recent back-to-back wins have ushered the proverbial light in Nico’s tunnel.
