Magesi switch to League survival mode

After clinching the Carling Knockout Cup last month, Magesi will now shift their focus onto surviving in the Betway Premiership as they prepare to face a confident Marumo Gallants outfit at the Petrus Molemela Stadium on Saturday evening.

Kick-off is at 5:45pm (CAT, GMT+2)

CURRENT FORM

Magesi are yet to win a match following their 2-1 win against Sundowns in the Carling Knockout tournament on the 23rd of November.

Clinton Larsen and his charges head into their next fixture on the back of a 2-0 defeat to Chippa United, as a first-half brace by Sinoxolo Kwayiba was enough for the Chilli Boys to bag maximum points at the Buffalo City Stadium last Saturday.

Magesi are currently on a four-match winless streak and recorded three draws and one defeat since the 28th of September. As it stands, the Limpopo-outfit occupy 15th spot on the table, with six points to their name after seven matches played so far.

Much like that of Magesi, Gallants are likewise looking to yield a positive run of form heading into December. Dan Malesela’s side were boosted by a 1-0 win against SuperSport United last time out, which happened to be only their second win of the 2024/25 Betway Premiership campaign.

Gallant’s inconsistent run of results saw them slump to 12th on the log, while holding just a point over their upcoming opponents.

WHAT WAS SAID

Gallants coach Dan Malesela expressed his delight at beating SuperSport in their most recent encounter and stressed the point of getting the job done given their current position in the Betway Premiership.

"For sure our minds then went back and said, guys, we need three points three points [against SSU], defend but sometimes when you are in our position you need to get them like this,” Malesela said.

“You can't be picky and choosy and whatever, we are just happy with the work rate. We are grateful for the goal that we scored, grateful for the clean sheet.”

Reflecting on the upting tie, Magesi Assistant coach Papi Zothwane urged his side to bounce back from defeat with the hope of climbing up the table in the next couple of weeks.

"The main priority for this team is to do well in the league and remain in the topflight,” Zothwane said.

“So, it was a disappointing performance for us to lose the match [against Chippa], but in terms of the application, character and mentality, it's what we expected from the players.

"We are playing Marumo this Saturday, so hopefully we will bounce back from our loss, but we definitely have to do well in the league."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Marumo Gallants: Monde Mphambaniso – As the creative hub for Gallants in the middle of the park, Mphambaniso will be tasked to unlock the Magesi defence this weekend. Mphambaniso  will no doubt be one to look out for this weekend, given his creativity and guile between the lines.

Magesi: Deolin Mekoa – The 31-year-old will have his work cut out for him this weekend, especially when coming up against a possession heavy Gallants midfield.  Mekoa is currently one of the most experienced campaigners at the club and will be a crucial component in guiding his midfield department this weekend.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

Last two league results:

2022/23 Marumo Gallants 0-2 Magesi FC

2022/23 Magesi FC 2-0 Marumo Gallants