Fighters aim for quick return

BOITUMELO KHUTSAFALO
Staff Writer | Tuesday June 4, 2013 00:00

 

Fighters, together with Prisons XI and BR Highlanders found the going tough in the just ended season and failed to retain their Premier League status.Fighters and Prisons XI will be joining the First Division South League while BR Highlanders will campaign in the First Division North. Fighters' chairperson, Kehumile Kgoroba said they need to go out there and work as a unit if they are to see themselves back in the elite league next season.'We need to correct our mistakes. Maybe we did not put too much effort and we paid the price. I am not saying someone is to blame for our demise, we are a team and we should work together and steer the team back to the Premier League,' he said.

Fighters finished at position 15 on the log, won just six matches, drew seven and lost 16.Kgoroba pointed out that they lost some matches that they shouldn't have lost and need to come back stronger. He said the coach, Enos Mmesi did his best and would not blame him for the axe. 'He had the passion and commitment,' Kgoroba said. Both Mmesi and the executive committee are yet to sit down and map the way forward regarding his future at the club. Mmesi said although they have managed to do well as far as scoring goals was concerned, they had problems at the defence and conceded unnecessary goals.'We were leaking goals at the back and I could not make changes since we did not have the right personnel on the bench to do that,' he said.

Mmesi arrived at Fighters when they had collected just eight points. Under his tutelage, they managed to collect 17 points extra but it was not enough to save them from the chop.Mmesi said although it is not going to be easy at the lower division, he is hopeful that if they keep the bulk of the playing squad, they can make a quick return.He said the management should move quickly to try and retain 90 percent of the team.'It is not going to be easy considering that we will be competing against the likes of Rolling Boys, Mochudi Buffaloes among others at the First Division,' he added.

Besides Buffaloes and Rolling Boys, Fighters will be up against Prisons XI, Masitaoka, Killer Giants and Letlapeng among other lower division sides that are difficult to beat. Jwaneng Comets' status is also yet to be decided since they will have to play a team that finishes second in the First Division North in the Promotional Play-offs.They are likely to meet former Premier League side, FC Satmos. If they fail to make it to the Premier League, competition for Fighters will become even more difficult with Comets joining the fray.