After two weeks of inactivity due to the Mascom Top 8 Cup and the international break, Letlapeng head coach Nelson Olebile believes that his squad has recharged its batteries and is geared for survival.
Letlapeng resume their survival chase when they go on a long road trip to Maun for a tricky fixture against fellow rookies Sankoyo Bush Bucks.
Letlapeng lie precariously inthe 14th spot in the Premier League table with four points. They have a bad record of going eight games without registering a point.  Since their promotion to the elite league, life has not been easy for the Ramotswa-based side, something which has seen former coach Thaloba Nthaga being shown the exit door after five matches.
This paved the way for Olebile who also has found the going tough but he is optimistic that things will change for the better this weekend. In their last game on November 4, Letlapeng played to a 1-1 draw with BR Highlanders at Molepolole Sports Stadium.
“I’ve never had a chance (since joining the team in October) to work with the boys and try to implement my philosophy due to the pressure of the games. Now that we’ve had a two-week break, I think it has given me a chance to try and understand my players better. We’ve been playing friendly games during this period in order to try some combinations and I think things will come right. We just need to have belief and then things will fall in place,” said Olebile on Monday.
Since being appointed at the club, Olebile has played five matches, drawing one and losing four. His side conceded eight goals and netting once in those matches.
According to Olebile, it has not been an easy thing trying to lift the spirits of his players but since the draw against BR Highlanders, he has seen a bit of change in attitude.
“We cannot afford to lose to Sankoyo because we were promoted at the same time. So I assume that in terms of strength we’re in the same class,” Olebile added.
Letlapeng chairman Sydney Mogagane said that though life has proven tougher than they anticipated in the beginning, they will remain positive and give the coach the necessary support.
“We’re doing all our best to give him the support he needs to keep the team in the Premier League.
He has already alerted us that there are some areas which need to strengthened and we’re prepared to break the bank to add some experienced players to the squad especially in the defence and midfield,” said Mogagane.
The club boss pointed out that they are trying their best to get the players in the right shape ahead of their Maun visit.
He said that this week they will seek the assistance of a psychologist to motivate his players.
“We’re going to Maun as underdogs considering that they’ve been uncompromising at home but that might work to our advantage. We need a result in Maun to get the team running. We’ve been struggling to score goals but I guess the coach has managed to rectify that during the break,” he said.
Mogagane added that they have brought in the services of former Police XI striker Farasai Nyamunamwendo in a bid to sort out their scoring problems.
For now, he is not available for selection but they are hoping soon he will be able to don the black and while colour of the “Rock of Ages”.
