Coach Mpho “Zico” Maleka.
By: Refilwe Sebola
Leruma United’s coach, Mpho Maleka, has maintained a strong belief in his team’s potential despite his team’s poor start to the National First Division (NFD) league season.
Leruma is currently tottering at the bottom of the league standings with three defeats out of three games. However, Maleka is optimistic that his team is already showing signs of improvement in performance following their recent 1-0 loss to Upington City, during which they demonstrated commendable effort, particularly in the first half, where they exhibited dominance, albeit without securing a goal.
Maleka expressed satisfaction with the team’s progress in the game and emphasized that Upington’s victory in the second half, aided by a contentious goal after one of his players received a red card, was fortuitous.
Looking forward to their upcoming fixture against VFC, Maleka acknowledged the challenges ahead while exuding confidence in the team’s capabilities. He stated, “With a complete squad this weekend and considering last week’s performance, I am optimistic about securing a victory against VFC in Venda.” Maleka’s steadfast optimism regarding the team’s prospects, despite their low position in the standings, serves as a motivating force for his players and supporters. Meanwhile, here is the complete results of the last NFD league games:
*Black Leopards 0 – 1 Casric Stars
* Highbury FC 0 – 1 Orbit College
*Hungry Lions 0 – 1 Baroka FC
*Kruger United 1 – 0 Pretoria Callies
*Milford FC 0 – 0 Cape Town Spurs
* Leruma United 0 – 1 Upington City
* Pretoria University 0 – 1 JDR Stars
* Venda FC 0 – 0 Durban City