Mothuba extends gratitude to Nare
Larona Makhaiza | Tuesday December 9, 2025 10:10
Nare coached Mothuba while he was still a player at Township Rollers. The Taung Young Strikers coach praised his former trainer for passing the baton to him after playing under him, now meeting him again, this time as rival coaches in the dugout. The two teams settled for the share of the spoils over the weekend under floodlights. It was a game of fine margins as it took the two teams to find the back of the net only through penalties.
Young Strikers were awarded a penalty shortly after the halftime break when Ketshephaone Tlhowe was brought down inside the 18th-yard box.
After winning the penalty, Tlhowe raised his hand for the penalty and easily converted it to put his side 1-0 up.
As it seemingly looked that Mothuba would out master his master, Notwane were also awarded a penalty in the dying minutes of the game.
Bokang Kwarare rose to the occasion and easily converted the chance. The two penalties were the only goals on the night and the teams shared the spoils.
After playing to a draw with his master, Mothuba was taken aback to his playing days and to now facing off Nare as a coach.
“You know when I was playing at (Township) Rollers, Chico coached me and now fast forward I am facing him as a coach. For that I have to say it is really motivating as I want to do my best,” Mothuba said.
The young tactician said it was quite imperative for him to get a good result against his former coach and show him what he has learnt from him during his playing days.
“As I said it is quite motivating and that is because I want to show him that during those days when he was coaching me, I was learning something. So that thing and you put it together with what we are taught at coaching courses makes me the man I am today and its all thanks to him,” Mothuba said.
Reflecting on the game, Mothuba was content for walking away with a point despite conceding a penalty in the dying minutes of the game.
“We played well the whole game. It’s only that we conceded a penalty but that is part and parcel of the game. It happens to each and every team but all in all we played well,” he said.
With the league now on its second phase, Mothuba said his troops have no ambitions to challenge for automatic promotion but are in survival mode.
“This season we just want to stay on the top eight, the rest we will think about it next season because right now we are using young boys that we picked here and there,” Mothuba said.
Notwane’s assistant coach on the other end, Ronald Moshoboro was relieved that his side managed to rescue a point in the dying minutes of the game rather than going home empty handed.
“It was a difficult game but we came to the party and rescued a point as we nearly lost it but the boys responded well,” Moshoboro said.