Lions cling to Dinare's coat-tails in title race
Mqondisi Dube | Tuesday November 10, 2026 10:30
A second-half goal by Lefika Mapitse secured maximum points for Black Lions, who moved to second position with nine points from four games. The result leaves them one point behind leaders Dinare, who scored late to grind out a 1-1 draw away to Jwaneng Young Fighters and remain top with 10 points. Former Premiership side Security Side remain unbeaten and occupy third position with eight points, just two behind the leaders, as the title race begins to take shape. Tsatsi was full of praise for his players, particularly after enduring difficult conditions in the first half, which was affected by rain. “First of all, I would like to thank my players. Looking at how the game started, the 20 minutes of rain affected the entire first half. In the second half, we started well and wanted a goal, but they deployed a low block, which made it difficult for us to get into their final third. However, we eventually managed to get a goal,” he said. Tsatsi said the encounter was always going to be difficult, particularly after Black Lions had registered a convincing 6-0 victory in their previous outing. “We were coming from a 6-0 victory, and they came to make it difficult for us. But what is important is the three points,” he said. With the title race heating-up, Tsatsi said his immediate focus was on collecting maximum points rather than keeping tabs on their rivals. “At the moment, we have to keep winning our games and maybe at a later stage we will monitor other games. But for now, we have to win ours. It is okay,” he said. Meanwhile, Taung Young Strikers coach Innocent ‘Koti Koti’ Ranku said he was pleased with the progress his young side was making despite suffering another defeat. The team has had a difficult start to the campaign after missing pre-season preparations due to administrative challenges that delayed the issuance of its league licence. Ranku said the team was gradually finding its rhythm, with combinations beginning to bear fruit despite having played only a handful of matches. “This is our second game of the league. We lost the first one 2-1 and this one 1-0. I think we are getting there; it is a work in progress. It is only our fourth game, but the combinations are coming up. I believe by next week, it will just be a matter of working on our mistakes and improving on what we did well today,” he said. However, Ranku identified defensive discipline and poor finishing as areas requiring immediate attention, saying his young players sometimes lacked composure when trying to win possession. “We will work on defence. Our guys are still young and have energy. They want to win the ball at all costs without even checking where they are on the pitch. At times, you just need to guide the opponent away from goal,” he said. He also pointed to the defensive lapse that led to Mapitse's winner, explaining that a defender rushed into a challenge and missed the ball, allowing Black Lions to capitalise. Ranku added that converting scoring opportunities would also be a priority as they seek to turn their improving performances into positive results. Taung Young Strikers remain rooted at the bottom of the standings without a point from their two matches as they play catch-up following their delayed start to the campaign.