Sonny was speaking after his side won their Debswana First Division North (FDN) clash against rookies Mbalakalungu at the old Francistown Stadium on Saturday. TAFIC won the match by a solitary strike.
Matjimenyenga are now on the brink of a Premier League return after three seasons in the FDN. They have now accumulated 41 points and need at least four in their last three matches to earn automatic promotion.
However, TAFIC can gain promotion with two games to spare if they win against Chadibe FC on Saturday provided third placed Mahalapye BR Highlanders do not win. This is so because second placed Chadibe FC are on 35 points and a loss would mean that they can only finish a point behind TAFIC. If BR do not win on Saturday, it means that they can only finish the league with 39 points.
Despite presiding over the club’s good run in the second phase, Sonny says more credit should go to Saulosi. The latter was sacked by the club just after the first round following a series of misunderstandings with the executive. “He (Saulosi) is a very top coach. He assembled a very good team. I did not struggle to settle in because I found a very decent team.
The structure that I found was good and credit to him. He played a big part in what we have achieved so far,” Sonny said in a post-match interview. The match was also overshadowed by the absence of highly rated forward Modise Modipe amid reports that he has been suspended after he got injured while playing social football during the Easter holidays.
However, Sonny said that the player got injured in training. “The player got injured in training. I was with him during the week, and he will be back in the team very soon.” Mbalakalungu coach, Jerry Kachere expressed frustration that their loss to TAFIC eliminated them from the play-off race. A team that finishes second will qualify for the play-offs. Mbalakalungu are fourth in the league table with 27 points.
“Mathematically we are safe from relegation. Although we are out of contention for the play-offs, we are happy that we have achieved our main mandate of retaining our status in the FDN.” TAFIC’s solitary strike came in the 52nd minute from defender Kemoneetse Mmangwedi.
The latter headed home from Nicola Batlang’s well taken corner in what can be termed an average encounter. Both sides seldom created chances although TAFIC were slightly better than their opponents in terms of possession and going forward.
The teams
TAFIC: Thatayaone Thandazela, Thamani Muzila, Shaun Phillip, Kemoneetswe Mmangwedi, Nengube Chakalisa (C), Nigel Gurere, Goitseone Mponang, Godfrey Seabelo, Morebodi Nzongeni, Nicolas Batlang, Yashe Dambe
Mbalakalungu: Hendry July, Nsiriza Samunzala, Donald Mapharing, Robert Songa, Joseph Keitseng, Bontlafetse Kebalepile, Tumelo Raposo, Bone Ramasilo, Gofaone Ntshekang, Maitseo Bimbo
TAFIC 1 (Mmangwedi 52nd) Mbalakalungu 0
