Keepers...Lefa in training

Good day!


It is the day before the day that football is back again. Which means it's thursday, the day before Friday when we will see a game of Football. YEE PEE!!!


I've been wondering, ahead of tomorrow's game, who will be our number one tomorrow! In our last game, the MTN 8 finals, we had both of our keepers take part due to an injury to our number 1 elect this season, Aubrey Mathibe. The injury section on our officiall website has not been updated with his injury, so I take it he is fit or someone is not doing his job.
Greg Etafia came on for the second half had a good game. And that does not imply Mathibe didn't have a good game either. But I tend to think he didn't help himself with the penalty conceded for Pirates' first and only goal. Generally thought, Mathibe has saved us in a number of games.


But this leads me to another issue. Of the top of my head, we've only played one game without conceding (I could do a bit of research but am lazy). That was the MTN 8 first leg game against Ajax in Cape Town, all the other games saw us concede, by worrying margins as well. I am far from blaming this on the Mathibe or the keepers. Its a team sport and the whole team has to defend as well as attack together. But keepers do play a critical role in the defensive aspect of the game. They have to organise defenders, shout at them when they're out of position, admonish them when they make bad passes in dangerous areas and also make the occasional last gasp saves. Defenders also have to be confident that their keeper will bail them out when the need arises.


I don't know why we've been conceding so many goals, and it is in no way just a goalkeeping problem. But Mathibe has been given a good run of games, a real confidence booster  and trust shown by the coach after Etafia has been our undisputed no 1 for a long time. So far we've tried with Mathibe in goals, I still think we can do better with Etafia especially after being dropped for the start of the season. He would be burning with desire to perform well knowing well that a drop in performance Mathibe would be there to claim the stakes.


In other news, Lefa Tsutsulupa says:

"After more than two months on the sidelines, it felt great to train with the team again last week. It's been a struggle and I am still in pain, but hopefully it will subside once I start getting stronger. I have done my rehab with the sports clinic as well as our own physio. Maybe in a week or so I'll start competing to be in the team."

So we know he won't be playing tomorrow, which is understandable. I'd rather he comes back when he's truly fit. Unfortunately we don't have the reserve football games that was introduced a few seasons ago and was ditched as soon as it started. Don't ask me why, but that is one of the ways to get player fitness and match practice up to scratch as used by many European teams. 


Three of our players (Ramahlwe, Shane and Ace Bhengu) were included in the U23 squad for the recent 2-0 win over Iran in Iran, which is good that we have a fair representation in our national teams and shows that development is taken to heart by the Birds.


That's it from me today.


Cheers and see you soon....