Makwengwe resurrects Holy Ghost
Relegation candidates and Botswana Football League (BFL) rookies, Holy Ghost have found a messiah-like figure in veteran coach, Philemon Makwengwe. The architect and mastermind of local football has enough material to quickly secure a winning formula for the team, which was previously going down in shambles. Makwengwe recently played a part in saving South African National First Division side, Black Leopards from relegation and is confident he can do the same for Holy Ghost.
Under Makwengwe's watchful eye, Holy Ghost defeated Extension Gunners 2-1 in a hotly contested game at the Lobatse Sports Complex this past weekend. Before this impressive victory, the Mmopane based outfit played to a 1-1 draw against multiple league champions, Township Rollers. Makwengwe, who has a chequered history with Gunners, insisted that he held no grudges against his former employer following the win.
'We are trying to correct so many things in the team, the ability to attack and to defend, the game understanding, and match management,' said the tactical coach. 'These are the things we are lacking. To show you that there is a lack of match management, they are one man up and cannot even recognise the extra man. And the extra man is the right back, the right-winger.'
Makwengwe continued: 'Holy Ghost needs motivation and cohesion. You just have to bring them together so they believe in themselves. They are down, but they are not out. That’s what I told them before the game. We have names with experience. We just need to design the team in a way that they would attack. I just need a distributing midfielder, and obviously, I have runners they would slot in those. They are missing too many chances.'
The former Gaborone United and Gunners coach said, 'A coach is an architect; you have to design and let the players be builders,' adding that some of the players are not used to the type of coach where they are told to use a particular foot and placing the ball. 'The moment the ball comes to him, he has rampant thoughts and becomes a victim of indecision. So it's not easy to work with them. They have to get used to me, and I get used to them.'
Makwengwe said he will not guarantee anything, but they will fight. 'With the big teams, we get one or three points and with the teams in our league, as there are no small teams, we aim for maximum points. In the league, when you find a team that has been losing so much, it's not easy to transform them but I am working on the design and technique.'
Some of the players were in the national team before, so the coach can easily communicate with them. 'Others you have to teach. That's why they previously gave away the ball to Rollers after leading at the 78th minute. That was a pain, and it went straight into the net equalising 1-1.'
Makwengwe insisted that he holds no grudges against his former team, indicating that football is football. 'Coaches come and go, players come and go, but what remains is the game. I went to my boys (Gunners) and their coachto shake hands. If I hold grudges, I would have lost this game because I would have been clouded by emotions and revenge. What happened in the past has happened.'
Holy Ghost fans are eagerly anticipating the next game against Mogoditshane Fighters