Owen Da Gama has opened up about the challenges Magesi FC faced before his appointment in December, revealing the key issues that were hindering the team’s performance.
When Da Gama took over the coaching reins at the Limpopo club from the departed Clinton Larsen, Magesi had only won one game, drawn three, and lost five since their promotion to the SA top-flight from the Motsepe Foundation Championship.
As a result, Magesi found themselves languishing at the bottom of the Betway Premiership table, facing relegation.
However, the ‘Rubber Doll’ has managed to move Magesi out of the danger zone to 11th place on the log standings with 26 points after 24 games.
Dikwena Tsa Meetse have been in fine form under the tutelage of Da Gama, winning four games out of their last five league matches.
OWEN DA GAMA IDENTIFIES WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS AT MAGESI BEFORE HIS APPOINTMENT
Da Gama mentioned that the club’s issue was its use of the low-block strategy. He observed that this resulted in the team conceding many goals, describing it as “expensive defending.”
“What was happening before I arrived was that this team was playing with a very low-block,” said the 63-year-old, well-travelled coach. “So, when I arrived, even during a few games I was here, it was a team that conceded the most from outside the box. That was expensive defending because that slight defection or little gap is a goal.
“We started working on them and started getting more to a mid-block, and I think that has helped a lot. Now, there are spaces where the players can cover for each other.”
Magesi will return to action on Sunday, 20 April 2025, when they take on TS Galaxy in a Betway Premiership encounter. The match will be played at Seshego Stadium at 15:00.
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