OBAKENG MELETSE
Baroka FC’s journey back to the Premiership has been bumpy, with the Motsepe Foundation Championship side having to scrape through to sneak into third position on the final day of the season, as they now look ahead to life without coach Dan Malesela.
A loss against AmaTuks in the opening match has left Bakgaga Ba Ga Mphahlele needing a win when they welcome Richards Bay FC at the Global Stadium in Lebowakgomo, Limpopo tomorrow (3pm kick-off).
Baroka will go into their must-win encounter without the services of their suspended coach Dan “Dance” Malesela. The former TS Galaxy mentor was suspended, with investigations still ongoing, and the club will be under the care of Morgan Mammila until the end of the season.
Mammila becomes the third coach to take up the reins at Baroka in the current campaign, following the departure of Stanford Nkoane earlier after a poor run of results.
Malesela took over and steadied a then-shaky ship that after five matches had only managed to pick up three points, to move them within a chance of a PSL promotion play-off spot, which they later secured.
⚽️⚽️⚽️NEXT MATCH ⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️
🏆| Promotion Play-offs
🆚I Richards Bay Football Club
📅I 08 June 2024
🏟️ I Global Stadium
⏲️I 15H00
🎟 I R10.00
#lennakemoroka #barokafire
@GobalOilSA @Monflair_ZA @borgatmansa @mycolana
@BarokaFunerals pic.twitter.com/kNUt2xTD14
Mammila, also fresh off vacating his technical director position with Chippa United a few days ago, will need to quickly get his ducks in a row as the uphill task to come back from a first-game defeat will take centre stage.
Currently last on a log of three, Bakgaga’s next two fixtures will be in their backyard, and they will come up against a Natal Rich Boyz side that narrowly missed out on automatic safety by two points – with eighth-placed Polokwane City only nine points ahead of them, highlighting how tightly contested this season has been.
Picture highlights of yesterday's game against @AmaTuks #lennakemoroka @GlobalOilSA @Monflair_ZA @mycolana @borgatman pic.twitter.com/DFiILiqEBy
— Baroka Football Club (@Baroka_FC) June 3, 2024
Baroka, with the services of their newly-appointed interim coach, will get insight into their PSL opponents through his involvement when the Chilli Boys eased to a 3-0 win over the KZN-based side in March this year.
But a new squad and a different league will require more than just making it down a bumpy road, with their journey having now become a hill climb.