Magesi FC head coach Allan Freese has addressed the growing speculation regarding his future at the club as they prepare for the crucial Betway Premiership clash against Kaizer Chiefs.
The veteran mentor finds himself navigating a period of immense scrutiny and mounting pressure as the Limpopo-based outfit fights tooth and nail to save its top-flight status.
The relegation-threatened side is now bracing for a daunting task as they prepare to host Chiefs at the New Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane on Wednesday, 15 April. Kick-off is set for 19:30 CAT. Magesi enter this midweek fixture wounded, following a heartbreaking 1-0 defeat at the hands of Sekhukhune United in a tightly contested Limpopo Serby this past Saturday evening.
Dikwena Tsa Meetse suffered a lapse in concentration in the dying minutes of the match, conceding a last-gasp goal that condemned them to their 12th loss of a gruelling campaign. This latest setback leaves the club rooted to the bottom of the standings in 16th position, with the sand in the hourglass rapidly running out as only seven fixtures remain to save their season.
ALLAN FREESE PLEADS WITH CLUB MANAGEMENT TO ALSO LOOK AT THE PERFORMANCE
In the aftermath of the derby defeat, the spotlight turned sharply toward Freese, who was questioned regarding his job security and the club hierarchy’s confidence in his leadership. The scrutiny stems from a dismal run of form where the coach has managed to secure just a solitary victory in the eight matches since he took over the technical reins.
However, Freese has come out swinging, insisting that it would be unfair for him to shoulder the blame alone. The experienced tactician pointed to his team’s profligacy in front of goal, suggesting that the responsibility must be shared when the side consistently fails to capitalise on the clear-cut scoring opportunities they work so hard to create.
“Well, I don’t know, it’s up to the management,” Freese told journalists at New Peter Mokaba Stadium. “But I think management must also see what is going on in the field. They mustn’t look at the coach; they must look at what is going on in the field. When I am telling you we had 13 chances to score [against Sekhukhune],” he said.
MAGESI FC COACH CONFIDENT AHEAD OF THE KAIZER CHIEFS CLASH
Undeterred by last month’s 2-0 defeat at the hands of Chiefs, Freese maintains that the team can turn a corner if they find their finishing touch.
“I don’t think the last game when we played away against Chiefs we did badly, I don’t believe so,” he added.
“It was also a matter of not putting the ball in the back of the net. It was also the same problem. So we will work on it week in, week out, encouraging people to take shots at goals. So we will go back and still encourage the players.”
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