Nkowankowa Continental Coach Peace Khosa.
By: Refilwe Sebola
Nkowankowa Continental head coach Peace Khosa has made a bold statement regarding the new Tzaneen United coach, Thabiso Msongelwa, ahead of the derby game between the two teams this weekend.
The rivalry will continue as the two sides face off for the third time in an official league derby this Saturday at Nkowankowa Stadium. In their previous two derby encounters, the teams drew 0-0, and Tzaneen United won the last match 1-0 while Coach Peace was still with them. The talented tactician claims to know the secrets of the new Tzaneen United coach and has vowed to secure a victory this weekend. “Coach Thabiso is a good tactical coach. I know him; I worked with him during the playoffs, and I know his strategy. We will defeat him,” said Coach Peace.
Msongelwa joined Tzaneen United just a day before their match against Black Leopards last week, following the resignation of Oruel Sambo as head coach. He has had a full week to prepare his team for the derby. In his first game against the youthful Black Leopards side, his team displayed confidence and creativity, especially in the first half, where they could have scored more than three goals but were let down by poor finishing in the final third.
After the game, Msongelwa acknowledged that patience in the final third was an area that needed improvement before the derby. “Against Black Leopards, we created many chances, but we couldn’t convert them because we were not calm and composed. It’s a work in progress since I only had one day with the boys before the game. We will work on it, and we will do better going forward,” he stated.
The coach, originally from the Eastern Cape, has made a bold promise to Tzaneen United fans to win promotion this season, and the match against Continental could serve as a crucial stepping stone towards achieving that goal. Kickoff is at 15:00.
Tzaneen United Coach Thabiso Msongelwa