Midway through February, supporting Extension Gunners was a most painful undertaking for fans. Their side struggled to get positive results to pull them out of the relegation zone.
With the Premier League scheduled to finish at the end of this month, the games were coming thick and fast.
To make matters worse, their head coach Mike Sithole resigned with eight games left to take over a “tempting” position at rivals and champions, Mochudi Centre Chiefs.
At that time, it seemed like their future was doomed as assistant coach Thabo Motang had little experience as head coach.
Motang knew that he had to stir the sinking ship to safety but it was going to be difficult considering that four of their remaining opponents were against teams vying for the championship.
Despite the odds being against them, Motang maintained that his side would be playing Premier League football next season. He was not worried about the opposition and believed so much in his playing personnel which many dismissed.
“We knew that people had already written us off. We did not want to let the departure of our head coach disturb us. What was important was to focus on the job at hand and make the supporters happy,” said Motang.
In his first game as interim coach, Gunners went to Selebi Phikwe and beat FC Satmos 2-1 in their own backyard on March 7.
“It was not an easy game for us considering that we were playing away. The boys showed a lot of character and I want to believe that game was our turning point,” said Motang.
Gunners went on to beat ECCO City Greens 3-0 at home in the following game but soon there were reports that Gunners management had appointed Serbian Dragojlo Stanojlovic as their head coach.
There were mixed reactions to the appointment as many felt that Motang was the right man for the job. “Drago is an intelligent coach and I have no doubt I will learn a lot from him. At this point, it is not all about an individual but Gunners. We need to pull together for the best of the club,” Motang added.
Ahead of their game against Gaborone United at Lobatse Stadium yesterday, Mapantsola had already claimed the scalp of other title contenders BDF XI and Mochudi Centre Chiefs.
While the results were unexpected for some, close to Gunners believed that beating these giants was possible.
“In the games we lost we were a bit unfortunate but we knew that we have what it takes. We sat down and agreed that it was important to show the football world what our team is capable of. We never listened to the negative things people were saying about us. The only challenge we had as a technical team was to ensure that the players remain focused. It is difficult to manage success but fortunately our players have responded well. I’m proud that Gunners will continue to play in the elite league and I must thank the players and executive committee for their commitment. The supporters have been fantastic,” he continued.
Gunners’ chairman, Kitso Dlamini, said that the recent performances by his club have motivated them to work hard in the next season. He pointed out that their intention is to compete from the onset and bring players who will die a little for the black and white outfit.
Gunners face Township Rollers this Saturday (April 19) before rounding up this season’s campaign with a visit to Nico United in Selebi-Phikwe on April 26.
