Mpote optimistic Majombolo will survive
The newly appointed Nico United head coach, Mogomotsi Mpote is confident he can help the team avoid relegation, despite suffering a 2-0 defeat against Township Rollers on Friday at the National Stadium. Mpote said that he knows the challenges that lay ahead.
Nico United is currently last on the table with 10 points, dangerously on the relegation zone. They began the second round of the Botswana Premier League season 2023-2024 with a defeat to Township Rollers and have made changes to their technical department by appointing the well-respected coach Mpote, who is tasked with keeping the team in the Premier League.
In the first half of the game, Nico United struggled to perform at their best, allowing Township Rollers to score early, with Mbatshi Elias netting the ball within 5 minutes. Later on, he scored another goal before the half ended. In the second half, Nico United came out stronger, making repeated attacks, but failed to score any goals.
Despite suffering his first loss since taking over, Mpote says he was happy with how the team responded to his instructions during the match against Township Rollers. 'I've just joined Nico United, but the improvements I saw in the team's performance in this match give me hope that, if I can apply my coaching strategies, the team will remain in the Premier League next season. We will take the lessons learned from this match and apply them to our upcoming games, to get the results we need,' he said.
Mpote stated that the team had a culture of playing defensively and waiting for their opponents to come at them. However, he has been working to change that, and he believes that they have started to show that they can attack and score goals.
'I'm not worried about the team's current position on the log. That's why I agreed to come and coach them. I have full confidence in the current squad, and I believe that with the right training, I can help them achieve success,' Mpoted said.
Nico United's next match will be against Matebele FC on the 10th of February at Sam Sono Stadium which would be a tough test for Mpote. He says that he is optimistic about the team's performance, and he will be working hard to improve their play and goal-scoring abilities to keep them in the league this season.