Madinda didn�t do himself any favours

Thuso Palai | Thursday April 23, 2015 19:02

 

But like they say, a coach is only as good as his last game and for Madinda Ndlovu, his last game in charge of Township Rollers was a tactical shambles that rubbed many Rollers faithful the wrong way, prompting them to vent. Although I saw it coming, I didn’t expect it so soon, but at the end of the season. However his resignation didn’t surprise me that much.

Rollers is the most decorated and arguably the biggest team in Botswana, based on honours and support base, and going a season without any cup success is almost unheard off and a pressure cooker for anyone in charge.

Rollers’ coaches and players have all the resources they need to succeed and if they don’t succeed; pressure is inevitable. Sometimes it is not even about the results but the manner of the losses. Ndlovu didn’t lose his job because of this one game against Gaborone United, but there had been a build-up of pressure.

Ndlovu has been walking a tight rope since the beginning of 2015, after he made a few ‘unnecessary, questionable signings’. All that resulted in the destabilisation of a side that had been doing well. Before the January transfer window, the team had gone long without a loss. The team was settled and was doing well. Ndlovu then signed Noah Maposa, Talk Talk Motlhabankwe, JJ Ramatlhakwane and Dirang Moloi, who have a history with bitter rivals Centre Chiefs.

And when the results changed for the worst, questions were asked about the signings. All these players are big name players, on good salaries and he had to make space for them in the team. This meant dropping some players who had been playing well and winning games for the team. Mwampule Masule and Michael Pepukani had been doing well in goals but had to make way for Maposa. The midfield trio of Maano Ditshupo, Lawrence Majawa and Segolame Boy had been doing well and at one point or another, one has had to make way for Dirang Moloi.

These moves didn’t go down well with supporters, more especially that results changed and Rollers started registering losses for fun. As one might expect, supporters always have their conspiracy theories, especially when a team loses so much after signing four players who have a history with their bitter rivals in Centre Chiefs. And like I say, they are just conspiracy theories, but they cannot be ignored. The mind of a supporter works in its way. The supporters felt the ‘unnecessary’ signings destabilised the team and lost them the League. Justifiably so.

Rollers has all the resources at their disposal and the expectations are higher. Pressure has been building up and at one point; the tight rope was going to snap. Even though Popa has been winning some games off late, the wins were not convincing and many were not happy with selections and how the team was set-up.

The only thing that kept him in his job was the hope that he would redeem himself by winning the Mascom Top 8 Cup. However his poor selections and very questionable substitutions broke the camel’s back. I’m no football coach and have no football coaching certificate but I could even make that Kobamelo Swere Kebaikanye was the most potent attack minded player on the day and the likely source of goals for Rollers in the Mascom Top 8 final at the weekend.

As to why he took him off immediately after he scored a goal and played a box player in JJ Ramatlhakwane at wing, while leaving a visibly tired Dirang Moloi on the field still baffles me. Well, he was the coach and maybe saw something we didn’t, but that decision cost him the Cup and ultimately his job.

While his counterpart in Rahman Gumbo made timely, well thought substitutions to affect the game positively for his side, Ndlovu once more made questionable, confusing substitutions at the wrong times and they cost him big time. This has been the case for some time, and the supporters couldnt take it anymore, hence their frustration.

Yes, reaching the Mascom Top 8 Final and possibly finishing 2nd in the League are major achievements for any team and any coach, but for Rollers, with all their resources, more is expected. Sometimes it is not even about results but the manner in which they lose.

And the way Rollers has been losing has left a bitter taste on many close to the team. Surely if you are on a winning streak and well on your way to winning the League, with a seven point lead at halfway point and you make five signings that backfire, questions will be asked.

While questions were being asked, he was a bit too cocky and from time to time refused to take responsibility, blaming this and that, more especially match officials. Instead of taking responsibility, he looked around for excuses and that didn’t win him any favours.

Ndluvu has had a love-hate relationship with Rollers supporters and at one point they were going to send him packing. He has done well for Rollers in his spell there but didn’t do himself any favours this season. His resignation was therefore no surprise. He fired himself by making one too many bad decisions.