Magesi FC has escaped the relegation zone, and coach Owen Da Gama has shared the key factors behind their rise to 12th place.
Their latest 1-0 triumph came against Golden Arrows, with Lehlogonolo Mokone scoring the decisive goal in what head coach Owen da Gama described as a “tactical masterclass.”
The result mirrored their previous win over Richards Bay, as Magesi continued to build momentum.
Da Gama credited their recent upturn in form to a solid defensive foundation, which has seen them keep consecutive clean sheets.
“We take it one game at a time. Every game for us is like a cup final, that’s how we look at it…we don’t look at who’s winning, who’s got what points, who’s drawing. We are not worried about the top eight, that’s still too far for us,” Da Gama said.
“When you’re trying to get a team right, the most important thing is, even Alex Ferguson [the legendary Manchester United manager] will tell you, the best coaches will tell you in the world, if you defend well you’ve got a chance to win and we’ve been working very, very resolutely on our defence.
“I just think, from a tactical perspective, we got it spot-on today [on Saturday]. We understand how they [Arrows] play and how they build up and I think we didn’t allow them to do that, so they had to resort to playing wide, which isn’t really their game…they come through the middle but we closed them down in that regard.”
The two victories have propelled Magesi into a more comfortable league position, moving them closer to the top eight. However, Da Gama was quick to temper expectations.