Mthatha Bucks were off to a disappointing ABC Motsepe League national playoffs start as they went down 2-1 to Limpopo representatives Magesi FC at the De Beers Stadium yesterday.The Eastern Cape side’s defeat could spell disaster for their hopes to gain promotion to the National First Division next season as their fate now lies entirely in the hands of other teams.
Only finishing top of the group after round-robin matches guaranteed a team a spot in South African football second tier.
Hosts, Hungry Lions who beat North West Shining Stars in another Group B match and Magesi are currently in the pole position for promotion as they are tied on three points.
All is not lost for Bucks though because all they need to do is beat Lions this morning and hope that Shining Stars do the same to Magesi. In the same breath, they are under extreme pressure to win both remaining matches as anything less than that is guaranteed to send them packing.
Bucks have no one to blame but themselves for their disastrous start because the match was there for their taking but players failed to take the game to their opponents.
A visibly dissapointed Bucks coach Julius Dube’s reaction post the match was: “I do not know whether my players were freezing or what,” adding that “this is not the team I have been coaching for the whole season”.
They defended very deep and had far very few shorts on target as Magesi’s goalkeeper Andrew Sekhaolelo was on holiday almost the whole match.
In fact, Bucks striker Nkani Zwane was left on his own devices alone upfront with no support every time he had the ball which he would eventually lose to Magesi defenders as they outnumbered him.
Zwane was actually the sole player who came to the party for Bucks, the rest were just too casual and showed no sense of urgency whatsoever throughout.
Going forward in the two remaining round-robin matches that are a must-win for them, Bucks will need a radical mindset shift if they are to turn their fortunes around.
Lions dished out an outstanding performance in their first match of this group in which Bucks were touted as favourites.
Bloemfontein Celtic reject, Moses Spandeel, who now plies his trade with the Kimberley side dished out a man-of-the-match performance scoring a hat-trick and this is what Bucks backline will have to contend with today.
A mistake Bucks can commit is focus on Spandeel because Lions have another equally dangerous PSL reject in the form of ex-Kaizer Chiefs forward Gert Schalkwyk who came in late yesterday.
Dube said his charges have no choice but to go for the jugular today.
“Our fate is now not in our hands because all we have to do is win and hope that other lose.”
Back to the match which both teams approached with caution at first, there was nothing to write home about in the opening stanza other than the two goals scored.
Bucks opened the scoring first, courtesy of Wandisile Fukutwa halfway through during the first 45.
However, hardly 15 minutes later on the other end, Magesi’s number 10, Mphseboshebo Magano levelled matters and the two clubs were tied on a one-all stalemate going into the interval.
The introduction of experienced duo in the form of Sibusiso Mapompo and former Chiefs midfielder Siyabulela Songwiqi by Bucks did not make much difference.
Magesi turned up the heat in the closing half, with Bucks on the defensive.
About ten minutes to the end, Magesi were awarded a debatable penalty and Magano slotted it in for his second of the match and fired the Limpopo side to the top of Group B after the first rounds of matches.
Bucks’ nightmare
Only finishing top of the group after round-robin matches guaranteed a team a spot in South African football second tier.
Hosts, Hungry Lions who beat North West Shining Stars in another Group B match and Magesi are currently in the pole position for promotion as they are tied on three points.
All is not lost for Bucks though because all they need to do is beat Lions this morning and hope that Shining Stars do the same to Magesi. In the same breath, they are under extreme pressure to win both remaining matches as anything less than that is guaranteed to send them packing.
Bucks have no one to blame but themselves for their disastrous start because the match was there for their taking but players failed to take the game to their opponents.
A visibly dissapointed Bucks coach Julius Dube’s reaction post the match was: “I do not know whether my players were freezing or what,” adding that “this is not the team I have been coaching for the whole season”.
They defended very deep and had far very few shorts on target as Magesi’s goalkeeper Andrew Sekhaolelo was on holiday almost the whole match.
In fact, Bucks striker Nkani Zwane was left on his own devices alone upfront with no support every time he had the ball which he would eventually lose to Magesi defenders as they outnumbered him.
Zwane was actually the sole player who came to the party for Bucks, the rest were just too casual and showed no sense of urgency whatsoever throughout.
Going forward in the two remaining round-robin matches that are a must-win for them, Bucks will need a radical mindset shift if they are to turn their fortunes around.
Lions dished out an outstanding performance in their first match of this group in which Bucks were touted as favourites.
Bloemfontein Celtic reject, Moses Spandeel, who now plies his trade with the Kimberley side dished out a man-of-the-match performance scoring a hat-trick and this is what Bucks backline will have to contend with today.
A mistake Bucks can commit is focus on Spandeel because Lions have another equally dangerous PSL reject in the form of ex-Kaizer Chiefs forward Gert Schalkwyk who came in late yesterday.
Dube said his charges have no choice but to go for the jugular today.
“Our fate is now not in our hands because all we have to do is win and hope that other lose.”
Back to the match which both teams approached with caution at first, there was nothing to write home about in the opening stanza other than the two goals scored.
Bucks opened the scoring first, courtesy of Wandisile Fukutwa halfway through during the first 45.
However, hardly 15 minutes later on the other end, Magesi’s number 10, Mphseboshebo Magano levelled matters and the two clubs were tied on a one-all stalemate going into the interval.
The introduction of experienced duo in the form of Sibusiso Mapompo and former Chiefs midfielder Siyabulela Songwiqi by Bucks did not make much difference.
Magesi turned up the heat in the closing half, with Bucks on the defensive.
About ten minutes to the end, Magesi were awarded a debatable penalty and Magano slotted it in for his second of the match and fired the Limpopo side to the top of Group B after the first rounds of matches.
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