Maduka Ready To Shoulder Responsibility At Magesi
Newly appointed Magesi coach John Maduka says he is raring to go and take the team to even greater heights following its impressive debut season in the South African top-flight division in the last campaign.
The Limpopo-based outfit registered an impressive 13th-place finish in the Betway Premiership last term, defying the odds of relegation after an underwhelming start to the season saw them emerge as early relegation candidates.
In addition to beating the drop, Dikwena Tsa Meetse stunned Mamelodi Sundowns and the local football fraternity at large when they clinched their first-ever major trophy in the elite league at the expense of the Tshwane giants in the Carling Knockout Cup final in November 2024.
Now, with a solid foundation at the club, the former Royal AM mentor has been entrusted with steering the ship going forward as he succeeded Owen Da Gama, who parted ways with the club despite saving them from the drop.
“It’s an honour for me to work with Magesi Football Club, it’s a very good team, it’s a team that always wants to compete. So, I’m very happy to be here and I’m looking forward to the task ahead, I know it’s not going to be easy, it’s going to be very difficult,” said Maduka.
“I strongly believe that with the team that we have from the management, technical staff, and the players, we can be able to achieve what we want to achieve at the end of the season. At the same time, I want to thank the chairman for having faith in me that I can be able to lead this ship.
“I am looking forward to this task. I don’t have much to say, I can’t wait to work, to be with the technical team, the management, and the supporters. We have seen it already that this is a team that wants to achieve things, and you can tell by the supporters because they come to games in numbers.”
Maduka went on to reveal that he got drawn to the Magesi project due to the team’s notable ambition to stamp its authority in the top tier and win trophies – a trait the Malawian tactician believes highlights his new side’s competitive nature.
“I am familiar with Magesi, you don’t just throw yourself into the team without trying to find out how they do things. One thing that made me accept the job is that the team is very ambitious, they want to win trophies,” he added.
“You have seen already, first season in the top-flight, the team won something. That tells you that this is a team that doesn’t regard itself as a small team, but it’s a team that is looking forward to competing with anyone, which is why last season, they even managed to win a cup.”
For the upcoming 2025/26 season, Maduka will be tasked with retaining the club’s top-flight status above all. Furthermore, the 54-year-old gaffer will undoubtedly be keen to help Magesi defend their Carling Knockout title.
