Motaung Vows To Fight For Promotion Despite Playoff Setback
University of Pretoria coach Tlisani Motaung remains confident in his team’s chances of achieving promotion to the DStv Premiership, despite suffering a 1-0 defeat to Richards Bay in their second match of the PSL promotion/relegation playoffs.
AmaTuks, who previously held the top spot in the mini-league after defeating Baroka FC, relinquished their position to Richards Bay following the midweek loss at King Zwelithini Stadium. However, with the playoff format offering a single round-robin amongst the three teams, Motaung emphasizes the open nature of the race.
“The competition is wide open at this stage,” declared Motaung. “We are still optimistic about our chances. While Baroka’s result against Richards Bay on Saturday will impact the standings, we must focus on competing in our remaining matches.”
Richards Bay, currently atop the table with one game in hand, will face Baroka next. “They (Richards Bay) have three games left, while we have two. There’s no point in panicking after this setback. If we had drawn the previous game and then lost to Richards Bay, the situation might have been different. However, at this point, it’s all about our performance in the upcoming games.”
AmaTuks will travel to Baroka on Wednesday before hosting Richards Bay in their final playoff match next Saturday. The season finale will see Richards Bay welcome Baroka on June 19th, determining which team secures promotion to the DStv Premiership.
Motaung expressed cautious optimism regarding the Baroka vs. Richards Bay encounter. “While I’m happy we’re not facing Baroka immediately after their coaching change with Morgan Mammila taking charge, every player will be motivated to impress the new coach. That’s what I expected before our game against Richards Bay, and thankfully, we avoided them during this initial phase.”
“Ultimately, as a coach, my focus is on our remaining games,” Motaung concluded. “The outcome of the Baroka vs. Richards Bay match is something we can’t control. We need to accept the results and focus on securing our own victories.”
