COACHES COLUMN 2015/16

We ended our league campaign against Tuks with a 2-1 loss and subsequently lost our top eight place. We played without the right desire and attitude and quickly found ourselves 2-0 down at half time. The second half we played with much more purpose and made a game of it,scoring and coming close to equalizing […]

As we anticipated Cosmos came to fight for the 3 points because of the predicament they find themselves in The first half was not pretty to watch as the game was very physical without much quality football being played. We managed to score late in the first half through a well taken volley by Bilankulu. […]

Under the circumstances of poor conditions we did well to come away from East London with a point. Our players put in another sterling shift against a very good Chippa team. We were solid defensively and frustrated our opponents who were limited to shooting from distance We were disappointing after winning possession as we immediately […]

Going into this game level on points and with both teams fighting for a top eight position made this a six pointer. The first half was a scrappy affair with neither team creating too many clear cut chances. We took the lead through another Mhango strike after he confidently slotted the ball past Mathole.,we went […]

Finally we put in a performance that directly compliments the hard work we have been putting in at training. The opening 20mins was a weird period as we firstly missed a penalty,conceded a penalty then conceded a 2nd through a crazy defensive blunder. We brought on Mhango after 30mins and he immediately brought us back […]

As anticipated this match was a very heated affair as both teams were desperate for 3 points,adding to the fact that this was a derby. We were happy with the first half performance as well as the tactical execution of our game plan We neutralised their wide players and kept their most influential player Lentjies […]

It’s not very often that we can say well done to our boys after loosing a match by 4 goals to 1, but that’s exactly what we said to the boys after the game. We went into this game without Bilankulu, Cele, Mngwengwe, Arwuah, Molefe, but still managed to put in a sterling performance, thanks […]

Credit must be given to our players for a much improved performance. We had to really fight for a result as Celtics also desperately wanted to win. The first half was tight until the sending off of Fransman..we then started to dominate our opponents in midfield but never created enough goal scoring chances We went […]

We started this match with six Diski players in the starting eleven. The likes of Goss,Sibiya,Molefe and Sibeko did not disappoint as they put in a sterling performance. The opening 20mins looked very promising as we struck the upright and created numerous scoring chances but failed to take the lead. Baroka then grew in confidence […]

Another disappointing performance and result from the team.It’s always difficult to chase a game when conceding as early as the 5th minute. We lacked confidence in our play in the first half and struggled to create any meaningful chances. We conceded a second when a very dubious penalty was given when it seemed the Supersport […]

As expected this was a very tense match for both sides. After making a tactical switch and going into a 3-5-2 formation to counter theirs in the first 10 mins,we grew in confidence and started to dominate in midfield. There were not many goal scoring chances from either side in the first half and we […]

We may be through to the last 16 of the Nedbank Cup, but the manner in which we did leaves a lot to be desired. In a game where we should have won comfortably, we huffed & puffed and struggled to give the desired performance we were all looking for. We spoke about not being […]

Platinum Stars are a team that I have a lot of respect for. They have a very experienced, highly talented group of players as well as a very good coach in Cavin Johnson. We knew full well that this was going to be a very difficult game and it was. We worked very hard throughout […]

This is one match where credit must definitely go to our players who executed our game plan with great professionalism. Each role was carried out effectively and we therefore gave a very disciplined team performance. We did very well to deny Sundowns attacking trio “CBD” any space behind our defensive line. We also closed down […]

Polokwane has always been a difficult place to go and get a result. We are therefore very pleased to have managed to get all three points. This was a solid team performance and credit must go to the players for a job well done. There was lots of pressure during the game as we had […]

This latest setback has been difficult to accept because the team really put in a big effort to try and win the match. We had 3 good opportunities to take the lead in the 1st half but once again failed to take our chances. Our opponents had one chance in the 1st half from a […]

As expected this was another difficult trip to Cape Town.We competed very well in the first half looking solid defensively,when against the run of play Ajax scored from a corner kick after we failed to clear a corner. We had two very good chances but failed to take them and went into the break a […]

Playing 3 games in one week took its toll on the players as we were totally flat in the 2nd half of the match. In the 1st half we applied early pressure on our opponents as we tried to score an early goal, but the quality of our final ball & finishing let us down. […]

As expected this was a very difficult game against a very desperate Ajax team.From kick off they went route one up to Paulse and this seemed to rattle us defensively.It also unsettled us in terms of us playing our normal passing game.against the run of play we took the lead in the 18th minute through […]

We expected a very tough match from a usually stubborn opponent.We edged the match in the 1st half creating more scoring chances than our opponents.Our speed in attack was a constant threat..We took the lead in the 40th minute through a superb long range effort from Hotto..we went into the half time break a goal […]

Under the circumstances, this was a very valuable 3 points. Taking into consideration, we had Mbaeva & Shitolo suspended, injuries to Ramagalela, Mokheti, Mngwengwe & Siyabonga Dube, we had to reshuffle the team & this was a major challenge which I thought we dealt with very well. </p. We played very well in the 1st […]

This is the one match that I want to forget about. We have thus far lost 3 league games and the performance of the team in this match was not what it should have been. We had a bad first half. The same thing that happened to us against Orlando Pirates. We defended badly. There […]

The harder the battle, the sweeter the victory and a victory without danger is like a triumph without glory. Victory is sweet when you have known defeat. Our loss against Supersport made us stronger. There were times when I thought our players will give up. As they say: loosing, in a curious way, is winning. […]

When you win, you don’t examine it so much, except to congratulate yourself and the team. You easily and wrongly assume that it has something to do with your plan. The plan, more than anything can only work if people who must make it work are up to the challenge. From the four fundamental factors […]

The game against Supersport united was one that- both the players and myself were looked forward to. Looking forward to this particular game because of my involvement with them in the previous season. Knowing the players and how their head coach thinks gave us an edge. The plan was to attack Supersport from the first […]

Another big test for us against Bloemfontein Celtics, one of the three teams vying for Q1. Our boys showed lots of character in this match. Gradually, but surely the team is taking shape for the better. Finishing is still our biggest concern. The execution of the Final pass in the final third is also not […]

As predicted, the Telkom knockout against the current MTN 8 champions was going to be difficult. Their current form made them favourites for this match. As under dogs, meticulous planning and high levels of motivation were needed to defy the odds. We knew that their strength was confidence, hard running and determination. The plan was […]

This is the one game we deserved to win, but the basic individual defending errors caused us dearly.From the first whistle we were in full control, and it was not a surprise when we scored our first and only goal on the 14th minute. Black Aces could not cope with our high tempo game. After […]

The game was a real test for our boys in the elite league. We showed a lot of character-Determination, hard-work and attitude were the positive attributes that our players had on the day. Our defensive plan was to ensure that we make the playing space for our opponents as small as possible. An efficient mixed […]

After 3 games we have tasted a win, draw and a loss. A very improved performance against Platinum Stars. Two individual defensive errors in the first half cost us the 3 points. The first goal was conceded through – not doing a basic defending of a wall pass. Instead of our player closing the man […]

After 3 games we have tasted a win, draw and a loss. A very improved performance against Platinum Stars. Two individual defensive errors in the first half cost us the 3 points. The first goal was conceded through – not doing a basic defending of a wall pass. Instead of our player closing the man […]

We have now played our second game of the season in the Elite League and we have collected four valuable points. We, at Golden Arrows play every game with the intention of winning and yesterday was not different. The tactics of playing for a draw robbed our spectators who pay to come and watch football. […]

A positive result at the beginning of any competition is key. It gives the players confidence. As a team that has just been promoted to the elite league we needed this win badly. This win will enable the players to have self belief – which in turn will boost the confidence of the team. A […]