The relegation of Baroka to the GladAfrica Championship is a bitter pill to swallow for the football-loving people of Limpopo. The club is one of the few whose supremo Khurishi Mphahlele had a clear vision not only to unearth talent and introduce them to the professional ranks but also to build a state of the art football facility to empower the communities in and around the Lepelle-Nkumpi Local Municipality and the province as a whole.
Players such as Evidence Makgopa, Gift Motupa, Goodman Mosele, Victor Letsoalo, Lantshene Phalane, Thabiso Kutumela, Veli Mothwa, and Mduduzi Mdantsane are just some of the notable players who came through the structures of Bakgaga Ba Mphahlele.
Baroka remains the only club in the DStv Premiership, at least until Saturday 21 May, that came through all South Africa football League levels. Their journey started in the SAFA LFA, SAB, ABC Motsepe and GladAfrica Championship until their promotion to the DStv Premiership in 2016 under coach Kgoloko Thobejane.
I believe that the club qualifies to be referred to as one of the few ‘Cult Clubs’ in the country. A club whose beautiful heritage can effortlessly be traced.
Clubs like that have a profoundly entrenched fan base who get emotionally attached over time as they gradually rise to topflight football. In some cases, it’s due to their lengthy stay in football circles.
This is opposed to the ridiculous phenomenon of buying statuses, which is sadly the norm nowadays.
They deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as Umtata Bush Bucks, Black Leopards, Bloemfontein Celtic, Santos, AmaZulu and, of course, the big three teams in the country.
Their demotion to the first division is a huge setback given the fact that they finished 10th the previous season, which was their best league finish in their six-year stay in the topflight.
I took time to ponder what could have led to Baroka’s demise. Here’s what I think are some of the notable contributors to Baroka’s downfall this season.
INTRODUCING NEW PLAYERS TOO SOON
When Baroka finished 10th during the 2020/21 season, they had one of the most balanced teams in the league. Their squad composition, which had players like Goodman Mosele, Evidence Makgopa, Thamsanqa Masiya, Manuel Kambala, Richard Mbulu, Gerald Phiri Jr, Nhlanhla Mgaga, Junior Gebhardt and Vusi Sibiya was quite solid. A lot was expected from them going into the 2021/22 season. Of course, with Mosele joining Orlando Pirates and Phiri Jr off to far-flung Sudan to turn out for Al Hilal, it was always going to be a challenge. The midfield nucleus was a little compromised with the departure of the duo.
In came a whole eight new signings that included Sydney Malivha, Decide Chauke, Sekela Sithole, Athenkosi Dlala, Bayzel Goldstone, and Train Mokhabi. The common denominator was that they all didn’t have Premiership experience. The club also promoted Tshegofatso Bosega and Bennet Bobete from the DStv Diski Challenge side.
It meant there was a sudden change of playing personnel in the starting line up with the new players getting the nod over those that were exceptional the previous season.
I am of the view that these young players were thrown into the deep and instead of introducing them gradually to blend with the more senior players. The lack of consistency in team selection also saw them going 12 matches without a win from September to December 2021.
They only managed to win four matches from that period until the last game of the season, collecting only 15 points out of a possible 45. That was a recipe for disaster.
WRONG COACHING CHANGES
The return of the charismatic coach Kgoloko Thobejane proved to be a wrong turn for the club. The results under then-coach Matsemela Thoka were not forthcoming as he managed two League wins in the 10 matches he was in charge of before he was dismissed.
But the choice to go with Thobejane instead of then-assistant coach Vincent Kobola or look elsewhere was costly for the club.
Thobejane did not bring any solution to their problems. In fact, the situation became worse, including the blunder to surrender a 2-0 lead against fellow relegation candidates Swallows, which they ended up losing 3-2.
Chairman Mphahlele could have picked it up earlier on the wrong choice of appointing Thobejane instead of making a decision with four games to go.
There are things one should never compromise when getting your coaching staff, and that is to get a professional technical team. Being a football coach requires more than just ‘knowing football’, and Chairman Mphahlele should know better.
I’m afraid I, however, have to disagree with the mockery around Thobejane based on his inability to articulate the Queen’s language and thus labelling him a joke. It is naïve.
Lest we forget, the man was in charge when Baroka gained promotion to the Premiership, for heaven’s sake. There are a lot of coaches in both the DStv Premiership and GladAfrica who will never get closer to what he has achieved.
The decision to appoint Kobola was correct and long overdue, but it was too little too late. I hope Baroka will continue with coach Kobola in the lower division as he has proved what he is capable of doing in the four matches.
LEAKY DEFENCE AND INCONSISTENT GOALKEEPING DEPARTMENT
Baroka have won more games (6) than both Swallows and Chippa United (both 5) this season. But it was at the back that they let themselves down. They have the worst defensive record this season compared to all 15 clubs. They have let in 40 goals in the League.
The most contributing factor is their inconsistency, both with defenders and the goalkeeping department. Vusi Sibiya, who has always been their main centre back and captain, only featured 18 times due to injuries and was later dropped from the team when he recovered.
Namibian international Ananias Gebhardt, who plays in both centre back and left-back and is a regular in the team, was also affected by injuries and only featured 12 times.
The drop of form by fightback Basil Mphahlele also meant the club had to do with a makeshift right-back in right-winger Thamsanqa Masiya. This is after the club let go of Elliot Seema midway through the season and released Matome Kgoetyane at the beginning of the season. Centre-back Phelelani Shozi was also in and out of the team and only featured 17 times.
Both goalkeepers, Elvis Chipezeze and Oscarine Masuluke did not have the best of seasons, with Masuluke having played more matches (20) and conceding 25 goals while Chipezeze played just seven and conceded 13.
Experienced keeper Jackson Mabokgwane joined with four remaining matches, but it was too late.
LACK OF A TEAM LEADER
The fact that Baroka has five captains this season alone is an indication that there was a leadership crisis within the players themselves. There was a need for stability as far as that is concerned.
The club started with Vusi Sibiya as captain, later replaced by Phelelani Shozi, who passed on the armband to Ananias Gebhardt before Denwin Farmer took over and later on, Bonginkosi Makume, who finished the season as captain.
Being a leader doesn’t necessarily mean you wear the armband, but the inconsistency of the appointments gives me the impression that there was no unity within the squad.
With that being said, Baroka have all it takes to bounce back to the Premiership division and hopefully, the majority of the players will remain to help them gain promotion.
