Mohafe: We Are The Best Team In Doing That
Polokwane City coach Phuthi Mohafe has boldly pinpointed a key area he believes his team is head and shoulders above the rest of the teams in the Betway Premiership despite enduring a dip in form in recent weeks.
The Limpopo-based outfit suffered a 1-0 defeat to Orlando Pirates in their last league outing on Saturday. This is a setback for the continental football aspirants as the club has now suffered five losses in its last 10 league matches, with three draws and two wins in the process.
Rise and Shine is currently in sixth place after spending a decent number of weeks behind Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates, respectively in third place. City has accumulated 34 points from 24 matches played and is three points off a CAF Confederations Cup spot.
While his charges are struggling to maintain the momentum they displayed in the early stages of the campaign, the City mentor is adamant his team is the best in the league in terms of creating clear-cut chances early in the game.
“If you check the whole league and the times in which we get chances, I think we are the best team in doing that. We are the team that gets the most chances in the first five minutes of the match, and mostly we have been fluffing them and going to score late in the match,” said Mohafe.
“So, I think that’s an element we need to work on so that whenever we get an opportunity, we don’t wait for the last grasp, but we have to score from the onset. So, those chances are sometimes the ones that are taking us aback.
“Because if we don’t score and the opponent gets a goal, they will defend as Pirates defended, and they will defend profusely so.”
Mohafe went on to reveal the reason why his troops always get the first sight of the goal, attributing their chance creation prowess to a winning mentality coupled with sheer grit and determination to reign supreme regardless of the opponent.
“So, I think with the mentality of going into the match wanting and willing to win the match and the courage to win the match, that’s what gives us the first attempt of the game, ” added the 51-year-old tactician, who took over the reins in November 2023.
With the business end of the season slowly approaching, the race for continental football is heating up as City will lock horns with third-placed Sekhukhune United in their next Betway Premiership encounter on Saturday, 19 April.
