Mpote joins elite with Rollers win
Boitumelo Khutsafalo | Tuesday May 23, 2017 16:49
He joins the likes of David Bright, Stanley Tshosane, the late Banks Panene and Sthanda Mogwadi.
Mpote led Rollers to their 14th league title over the weekend after their 2-0 victory over Black Forest. He took over as head coach in January following the departure of Mark Harrison. Following years of dominance by foreign coaches, Mpote has finally managed to break the jinx.
The last time a local coach led a Premier League side to a league title was Mogwadi in 2006 when Police XI dethroned Rollers for the title. The previous season, another local coach, the late Panene had led Rollers to a title just a season after helping them gain promotion to the Premier League.
Despite receiving criticism from some sections of supporters after Rollers crashed out of the Mascom Top 8, Rollers have registered an incredible record in the league. Under his tutelage, Rollers have not lost a league match. He has won 12 and drew five with one game remaining this season.
Meanwhile, the relegation battle will go down to the wire following the weekend results that saw Nico United win their crucial encounter against Sankoyo Bush Bucks. Police XI and Miscellaneous on the other hand lost their matches, leaving four teams on the edge ahead of the last matches of the season this weekend.
With Mahalapye Hotspurs and Green Lovers’ fate long decided, the last matches will now determine who joins them in the lower division. Nico United appeared destined to join them a week ago, but turned fortunes thereby setting up an exciting last day deciders.
Nico would have relegated last weekend had they lost to Sankoyo Bush Bucks. However despite all the challenges they faced ahead of the match with players threatening boycott because of unpaid wages, they registered an impressive 3-1 win on Saturday.
Although they remained in position 14, they closed the gap and moved within a point behind Miscellaneous, two points behind Police XI and three points behind Sankoyo. Nico wrap up their season at home to Hotspurs in a must win game.
They will hope that either Miscellaneous or Police XI lose their last matches for them to survive.
Miscellaneous threw themselves into a precarious situation when they lost 1-0 to Security Systems.
They sit in position 13 with 30 points while Police XI are 12th with 31 points.
The Jungle Kings lost 2-1 to Gilport Lions. They have been on a decline in the second round and ended up sacking coach, Maitumelo Lotlaamoreng. But they are yet to register a win since Mogwadi took over. In a recent interview, Mogwadi said Police XI should have let Lotlaamoreng finish up “his mess”.
They have a tough assignment away to Sankoyo in the last match. If they lose, they can only survive if both Nico and Miscellaneous fail to win their last matches as well. Miscellaneous just like Nico United take on a side that has already relegated. They square up against Green Lovers in the Serowe derby.