Gomora United coach, Johnny Ferreira, has discussed the significant impact of having former Orlando Pirates defender Rooi Mahamutsa at the club, following their triumph in the 2024/25 SAFA ABC Motsepe League National Playoffs.
The 43-year-old defender played a key role in Gomora’s national playoffs triumph, where he featured in all three games the Gauteng side played during the tournament.
In the first game, Gomora secured a 3 -0 victory over African Warriors of Free State in the group stage phase. In the semi-finals, they beat Midlands Wanderers from KZN 1-0, which secured their promotion to the Motsepe Foundation Championship.
In the final, Gomora managed to get the better of The Bees FC from Mpumalanga 2-1 to be crowned this year’s national playoffs champions at Lucas Moripe Stadium on Sunday, 6 July 2025.
WHAT JOHNNY FERREIRA SAID ABOUT ROOI MAHAMUTSA AT GOMORA UNITED
Ferreira highlighted that while the player’s age meant he couldn’t play every match at full speed, his deep understanding of the game was invaluable in guiding their defence throughout the tournament.
“Rooi will be turning 44 this year, and he is not going to play every game at match tempo. However, his positional play and his presence around the back four are very important,” Ferreira told FARPost.
“These playoffs were his first competitive games in two and a half months. The way he played, he was able to control everything, and he remained calm even under pressure.
“But he makes mistakes like all of us. However, he has been fantastic. When you have a dedicated and professional player like that, how can you fault him and point fingers at him? He is a fantastic role model for the whole group.”
Gomora walked away with the R1,200,000 prize money after winning the ABC Motsepe League National Playoffs. Meanwhile, the runners-up, the Bees, pocketed R600 000.
Gomora will now participate in the Motsepe Foundation Championship next season, alongside Midlands Wanderers from KZN and The Bees, after the three teams finished as the top three finalists in the national playoffs tournament.
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