Orbit College FC head coach Pogiso Makhoye has offered insights into the playing style that propelled his team from amateur status to the top flight of South African football.
The North West side was promoted to the Betway Premiership after winning the PSL Promotional/Relegation Playoffs that took place in June.
The team’s journey to the top-flight began with their promotion from the ABC Motsepe League in 2023. It was followed by a two-season spell in the Motsepe Foundation Championship.
Since their amateur days, Orbit has been known for its patient, team-oriented approach, characterised by controlling ball possession and building plays up from the defence.
Makhoye recalls how people claimed their “style of play” would never earn them promotion to the top-flight, but they did it anyway.
He has asserted that they won’t compromise their playing style just to get the desired results in the Premiership. Instead, it’s this approach that will prevent them from being relegated.
ORBIT COLLEGE COACH – ‘WITH THIS STYLE OF PLAY, WE WON’T BE RELEGATED’
“When we started in the MFC, people were saying we would not be promoted with the type of football we are playing,” said Makhoye. “But here we are today, we have been promoted. As a team, we have identity and a philosophy, and we stay true to it.
“So, I’m not worried, we lost [the first match against AmaZulu FC] with our own mistake, it was an own goal. But the type of football we are playing, we’re not going to change it.
“I mean, you can look at the physique of the players that we have. I cannot come here and say, ‘Let’s play long balls’.
“This is a South African way of playing. Even the likes of Doctor Khumalo, [John] ‘Shoes’ Moshoeu, they were playing football on the ground.
“The Europeans stole this thing from us, and now people are saying we’re copying Europeans. They brought this thing of long balls to South Africa.
“Even in the last 15 years, I wanted to show South Africa that this is our identity. And this is how we must play football in South Africa.
“I’m happy that I’m here. I’ll show everybody in the top-flight that with the type of philosophy, the type of football we are playing. We won’t get relegated.”
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