Polokwane City head coach Duncan Lechesa was impressed with Mpho Makola’s debut and insisted the race for the 2022/23 Motsepe Foundation Championship title will go down to the wire.
Makola signed a short-term contract until the end of the season with City this week, as reported by iDiski Times, having been released from Cape Town City last month.
The former Orlando Pirates man made his debut for Rise and Shine in a 1-0 loss to Casric Stars on Wednesday, replacing Captain Puleng Marema in the 83rd minute.
The result saw Casric level City points-wise with just goal difference separating the two sides on the log in second and third place. After the match, the coach admitted he was impressed with the 36-year-old and is confident of more upcoming matches.
“Look [his] experience, it will help us. You know when he came [against Casric] he tried to make us play,” Lechesa said.
“He came only this week but we will get there. He is not bad, you know the fitness level is not bad he will give us another 70 minutes over the weekend and let’s see how it goes.”
After the midweek results only a point separates City and Casric from top-placed Cape Town Spurs, and the former Bloemfontein Celtic midfielder says with seven matches still to be played the chase is still very open.
“Seven games still to go, we are still a long way,” he added.
“We are equal [on points,] it’s only the goals. It’s Spurs on top, then us, then them [Casric Stars]. So we still keep pushing game by game. It’s going to be tough like you say but we push.”
City travel to Thohoyandou on Sunday for the clash against Venda Football Academy.
