Dance Malesela feeling the pressure after Baroka costly mistake

Bakgaga conceded just two minutes before the final whistle ofollowing a lapse of concentration, as Kamohelo Pheeane punished the visitors at Tuks Stadium on Sunday. 

The Limpopo-based side are now left with three crucial matches – two of which will be played at home against AmaTuks and Richards Bay FC, and Malesela says there are no two ways about it.

“Now we are so under pressure that we have to work towards winning all our [remaining] matches because you never know what’s going to happen,” bemoaned Malesela.

“I hate this thing of waiting and seeing what other people do – yes, it’s part of the game, waiting to see what other people are doing elsewhere, instead of doing the job ourselves.

“Now you’re saying, ‘Ay, three matches – nine points, because there’s only one team that’s going to get promoted here, and if you don’t get that [total], you are done, you are finished.

“So we have to now, obviously, beat Richards Bay twice, which is going to be a very tough ask. I’m not saying we can’t – we can, and we then have to beat Tuks [at home], so it’s going to be very tough.”

Bakgaga, who finished third in the Motsepe Foundations Championship behind champions Magesi FC and AmaTuks, had the lion’s share of ball possession in the match, and produced better chances, but Malesela lamented the elementary mistake that led to the goal.

“I always preach to the players and say, ‘You need to pay attention to the things you are doing, you need to pay attention to detail and execution,’” he continued.

“For a number of times, I think we played out of character because we made a lot of passing errors and I got worried that, ‘One of these mistakes must not end up with us getting punished.’ Unfortunately, it did happen.

“And that’s a result of not thinking about the game. When you think about other things while you’re in the game, than the things you’re supposed to deal with.”