Black Leopards head coach Owen Da Gama hopes that being off the foot of the Motsepe Foundation Championship log helps ease pressure from his charges as they step up their fight for survival.
Leopards defeated Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila (TTM) 2-0 in Thohoyandou on Sunday in a bottom-of-the-log clash to give themselves a lifeline in maintaining their Championship status with four matches left to go.
Da Gama believes pressure paralyzes players and the technical team has been trying different methods to get that pressure off including dancing before matches.
The also coach admits the result is a lifeline for Lidoda Duvha and they are not going to play that down.
“Pressure paralyzes players, it does,” said Da Gama.
“I know for a fact that when you are under a lot of pressure it is so… I mean we are finding ways.
“I mean before the game we played some music for them to dance just to relax and understand that they are human beings, you know.
“They’ve got to relax and take any challenge no matter what the challenge is. But I thought once we brought on Donna [Makgetlwa] and we brought in Maluleke we said let’s keep possession make sure that they mustn’t have the ball.
“I think that closed the game for us. I think the subs, the guys that came on they were just fantastic.
“It is definitely a lifeline we are not going to try and play down situations. We are still in a very serious or very precarious position.
“We are still and it’s only over until the fat lady sings. Now there are no celebrations we just have to focus on the next game. That’s the main thing.”
Leopards have a week before their next match away against an unpredictable Hungry Lions at the Windhoek Draught Park.
