Mpheni Defenders owner and coach Sydwell Phuravhathu.
Mpheni Defenders owner and head coach, Sydwell Phuravhathu, stated that his team is not yet prepared for the ABC Motsepe League national playoff games, which are scheduled to take place from June 17th to 23rd in Upington, Northern Cape.
The Vembe-based team is returning to the national playoffs this year after failing to secure promotion to the National First Division last season. They secured their spot in Upington this season by defeating stream B champions Tzaneen United in the Limpopo Provincial playoffs with a 1-0 score.
Phuravhathu mentioned that despite the hard work put in by his experienced team during training, they will only be ready once they know their opponents. He stated, “I can’t say we are ready when I don’t even know who our opponents are. We are not ready.” The draw to determine opponents will take place next Tuesday, and the nine teams representing their respective provinces will only know their opponents then. Mpheni is considered one of the favorites to gain promotion, along with fellow returnees Dondol Stars of Gauteng Province. Another team expected to perform well this season is Njampela FC, a KwaZulu Natal-based team that performed strongly in their stream, winning 12 and losing twice in their challenging 16 league games.