Thlothlokwe Golden Syrup new coach, Moses “Poker” Malatji.
By: Refilwe Sebola
Thlothlokwe Golden Syrup has proudly announced the appointment of Moses Malatji as their new head coach in preparation for the pivotal match against the Black Leopards this Sunday at the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium.
This decisive move, confirmed by team manager Thabo Moremi, comes as Malatji takes over from Earnest Mamanyoha, who has transitioned to the role of assistant coach following an underwhelming start to the season, which saw the team lose five matches and draw one.
Known affectionately as “Poker,” Moses is ready to kick off training with the team on Thursday afternoon. With a CAF D license coaching certificate and a recent completion of the C license course, he is poised to lead the team away from the relegation zone.
Before this role, the seasoned coach made his mark at Winnerspark during the 2022/23 season and returned to his roots at Phalaborwa FC in the Hollywoodbets league.
He acknowledges the challenges ahead but remains unwavering in his belief in the team’s potential to rise above them.
“I arrived here on Wednesday and will commence training on Thursday. It’s clear that the team lacked adequate preseason preparation, which has affected their performance in the second half, primarily due to fitness issues. We are going to tackle this head-on with the technical team,” he asserted confidently. “There’s simply no reason for a team to concede so many goals in the second half without an underlying issue of physical fitness. Starting next week, we’ll be stepping up our training to twice a day, just like other successful teams in this league,” he added.
Team manager Thabo Moremi also announced the return of several regular players and new signings who missed previous matches, particularly bolstering their centre-back positions. With some players recovering from injuries, the team is set to regain its competitive edge.