Magesi coach confident of winning playoffs to remain in top flight

Magesi coach Allan Freese is confident they will save their Premiership status by winning the playoffs, where they will battle it out with two Motsepe Foundation Championship (MFC) sides in Cape Town City and Milford.

Magesi beat Richards Bay 1-0 at Seshego Stadium on Saturday, the last day of the season, to avoid straight relegation and settle for playoffs.

“We’ve given ourselves another opportunity to stay in the league,” said Freese, who joined Magesi in February, replacing John Maduka.

“We will give it our best. I must be confident to go there and win. Nobody else will give me confidence. I must be confident and put that confidence into the players to say ‘we can do it’. It’s another challenge against different teams from a different league.”

The 69-year-old Magesi coach disclosed he never paid attention to their rivals until their fate was decided on the final day of the campaign. Magesi started the day bottom of the log, but Orbit College’s defeat to eventual champions Orlando Pirates at Mbombela Stadium meant Dikwena tša Meetse leapfrogged them.

“I didn’t really focus on the teams we will face in the playoffs until we knew we were going to play the playoffs, but there were people within the club who were working on analysing them,” Freese said.

Freese knew there was no other way to give themselves another shot at redemption other than beating Bay.

“We had to win that last game against Bay. We didn’t have any other choice, especially playing at home. We won the game and now we have to prepare for the playoffs,” said the Magesi coach, who won three of the 14 league games he oversaw with seven defeats and four draws.

Playoff fixtures (all at 3pm)

• Tuesday: CPT City v Milford, Athlone;
• May 30: Magesi v CPT City, Seshego;
• June 3: Milford v Magesi, Richards Bay Stadium;
• June 6: Milford v CPT City, Richards Bay;
• June 10: CPT City v Magesi, Athlone; and
• June 13: Magesi v Milford, Seshego.