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John Maduka, the head coach of Magesi, emphasized the need for his team to handle the pressure as the defending champions gear up to face AmaZulu FC at Moses Mabhida Stadium in the Carling Knockout Cup this Sunday.
Magesi enters the match as titleholders after winning the Carling Knockout Cup against Mamelodi Sundowns last season in their debut season in the top tier of South African football.
“As the reigning champions, we approach this match understanding that we are tasked with defending this trophy, which makes it a tough challenge,” said John Maduka.
The Limpopo-based team gained significant attention through their impressive performance in the tournament.
Their journey culminated in a remarkable 2-1 victory over the heavily favored Mamelodi Sundowns in the final, with Delano Abrahams equalizing in the 87th minute.
This time, they enter the competition with a notably transformed squad, now led by former Royal AM and Bloemfontein Celtic coach, John Maduka.
“To defend our title, we must start with our first match against AmaZulu and then take it one game at a time,” remarked Maduka.
The Malawian coach also highlighted the need to keep his team’s morale high, especially given their underwhelming league performance, placing them in 15th position in the Betway Premiership, only above 16th-place Chippa United on goal difference.
“This cup match could also serve as a confidence boost for us in the league. There have been several frustrating league matches where we played well but couldn’t secure a win,” Maduka noted.
The last encounter between Magesi and Usuthu ended in a 1-1 draw, although it took place in the league and in Limpopo.
Article by Sompisi Ntuli
