Khosa keeps the faith: The Continental mentor says his side will continue fighting to avoid relegation.
By: Refilwe Sebola
Things are looking bleak for Nkowankowa Continental as the struggling outfit continues to sink deeper into relegation trouble in Stream A of the ABC Motsepe League.
The Nkowankowa-based side sits rock bottom of the log with just three points from 14 matches, leaving them with a mountain to climb if they are to survive the chop this season.
Their latest disappointment came last Wednesday when they went down 2–0 at home to Phalaborwa United in a match that left the home faithful wondering how their team walked away empty-handed.
Continental controlled large parts of the encounter and created several clear chances, but simply could not find the back of the net. The visitors’ goalkeeper was the hero of the night, producing a man-of-the-match performance to deny the hosts with a string of superb saves.
While Continental dominated possession and territory, Phalaborwa United did what experienced teams often do — punish their opponents when it matters most. The visitors, who at times looked disjointed in open play, struck twice from set-pieces to silence the home crowd and walk away with maximum points.
Continental head coach Peace Khosa did not hide where the problem lies.
“Finishing is a big problem and we are working on it every day in our training sessions,” said Khosa.
The coach believes his side has not been getting the rewards their performances deserve.
“There are games where we played very well but we did not score. We have been very unfortunate in that regard,” he said.
With morale naturally taking a knock during such a difficult run, Khosa says his job now is to keep the players motivated.
“I am trying my best to encourage the players not to give up. The season is not finished yet.”
Continental’s situation, however, remains precarious. They are seven points behind second-from-bottom Lebash Academy, who have 10 points from 15 games — one more match than Continental.
TTM sit just above them in third-from-bottom place with 11 points from the same number of games played.
With only seven matches remaining before the curtain falls on the season, Continental must start collecting victories quickly if they are to avoid relegation. The good news for the Nkowankowa outfit is that a maximum of 21 points is still up for grabs.
There is also a potential lifeline in their abandoned match against Selwane White Vultures. The visitors walked off the pitch after protesting a penalty awarded to Continental, and the matter is still awaiting a final decision from the league authorities.
For now, the only Nkowankowa side left in the ABC Motsepe League finds itself under serious pressure. But in football, as many South African fans know, the game is not over until the final whistle of the season.
And if Continental can finally find their scoring boots, their survival fight may yet have life in it.