03 Feb 2025

When checked through the rear view mirrors, the problem of loanee players recalled to their parent clubs that besieged and nearly threw the Mochudi Center Chiefs camp into confusion, disarray and uncertainty, is fading to almost invisibility. 

The Kgatleng giants were nearly paralysed. They are not anymore. Magosi are now accelerating towards finishing the league on a high and in a respectable position.

It is the combination of Magosi’s once mighty attackers, Pontsho Moloi and Sekhana Koko, on the dugout this time, that accords Magosi a reason to believe in their team again, despite the past ownership and sponsorship blows that knocked them to virtual dizziness. 

Emerging from a brief, stormy and uncertain spell, owing to the return of loaned players to their parent clubs, Magosi has almost steadied their ship, according to coach Moloi.

“Maybe that’s why we had the result we had in the first two games when we were trying to bring guys together,” Moloi quipped and admitted that the departure of loaned players from teams as Jwaneng Galaxy and Township Rollers ‘shook us a little bit.’

“It’s an ongoing process and we’re still trying to blend the new players with those who have been here. For example, I have a new player from South Africa (Tefo Mofokeng) who arrived yesterday (Friday) and made the team today (Saturday),” Moloi explained how Magosi are hard at work building a formidable team while simultaneously fighting for every point on offer.

Having painfully watched the backs of the then loanees suddenly march away from their camp, Moloi confirmed that they were now left with only two loanees, one from Gaborone United and another from Orlando Pirates, South Africa.

Perhaps, the loss of the loaned players was a blessing in disguise as the returning Kgatleng giants are successfully putting a brick atop another with utmost ease. Plus, they have recently acquired the services of new players such as Resaobaka Thatanyane to bolster their claims to the supremacy that was once their badge. A feared and invincible side, Magosi in 2008 won the domestic league without conceding a loss.

They had gone a total 39 games unbeaten that season. However, a dark moment hit the Magosi camp in 2019; they were relegated to the First Division South where they plied their trade until last year when they emerged from the dusty grounds, limping.

They attracted a sponsor and quickly lost it before their arrival season ended. Not a beautiful episode. Magosi are now back. Against Nico United, this past Saturday, Magosi resurrected their rivalry, a showpiece that both coaches observed some glimpses of the rivalry that hitherto set Selebi-Phikwe ablaze.

Then a player and having to weave his way past the likes of Nico’s Richard Legwaila and company, Moloi now sits on the dugout. Many a times he is on his feet howling instructions to the boys. 

On Saturday, despite being a coach, he relived the moments of the yesteryears against Majombolo.

“It is still a big game. I remember we won 1-0 in the first round, but they remain a very difficult opponent to be honest,” Moloi said adding that Nico’s coach, Observer Pelokgosi, was doing an incredible job with sharpening Majombolo for the task ahead. 

Despite a deserved win, with the Zimbabwean man, Dumisani Kubane, striking once in each half to loot some invaluable points from the copper-nickel mining town, Moloi packs some respect for Majombolo while also enjoying a run of four clean sheets. 

While coach Pelokgosi returned some love for coach Moloi in a game he deemed too tactical, he was unimpressed with conceeding ‘silly goals’. As his boys let in some ‘silly goals’, he found it insurmountable to break the Chiefs defence. Not once did they break. Only sporadic attempts at goal. 

The hosts played a defensive game against a team that, with their huge fan base, are always revved up to win, according to coach Pelokgosi’s observation.

“We wanted to unlock them in their defensive zone, but their defence didn’t break,” said Pelokgosi, who is alive to the pain suffered by the Majombolo supporters at losing home games. 

They recently lost by the same score line to Sua Flamingoes before invading Orapa where they left unscathed. They took a point home.

“A string of losses at home is really affecting the team, especially supporters who feel that we should be garnering positive results here,” he conceded.

However, Pelokgosi will be infusing new signings into the team to try and engineer a team capable of ending the season amongst the top eight teams.   ENDS