Moorosi Tsiane
MATLAMA mentor, Molebatsi Mothobi, has warned the team against complacency following their 2-0 victory over Kick4Life in last Saturday’s Vodacom Premier League match.
The win enabled Tse Putsoa to extend their lead in the 16-team table. They now have 44 points from 18 matches.
Second-placed defending champions, Bantu, are on 37 points. But they could cut the gap to just a point if they win their two matches games in hand.
Mothobi said while his charges headed into the Christmas break with a seemingly healthy lead, they could not afford to relax as they were still far from the finishing line.
“The road to the championship is still long. We cannot start celebrating. We have only played two matches in the second round and we have another 12 more to play. Leading the table with seven points for now is nothing. Even if the gap had been 10 points, it would still not mean much as long as there are still games to be played.
“We cannot rest on our laurels. We have to remain focused because anything can still happen,” Mothobi said.
He admitted that leading the table gives them an edge but said that it comes with pressure which can result to mistakes.
“It is always good to be leading the pack, it’s a motivation itself but now the challenge is when we begin to get complacent.
“Leading the league comes with lots of pressure because everyone’s eyes are on us and even the slightest mistakes we make can be turned into something huge but we are addressing the issues as we are working on our players’ mental fitness as the technical team,” he said.
Mothobi said that for now they have given players a few days to rest as they enjoy the festive season. Training will resume next week Monday to prepare for their next league against Swallows on 16 January.
“We have given them some days to be with their families for Christmas but also we can’t rest for too long because we need to prepare for our next match which is Swallows on 16 January. Next week Monday they will be back for training,” he said.
