Polokwane City is facing a major crisis: a crippling goal drought. Coach Phuti Mohafe is deeply concerned as his side has now gone almost eight hours of game time without finding the back of the net. The Limpopo-based club, recently defeated 1-0 by Kaizer Chiefs at Soccer City, last celebrated a goal back in May, during a 1-1 draw against AmaZulu.
"It's a big concern for us to score a goal," Mohafe admitted. "It's an element that needs to be taken care of very, very fast and furiously."
Polokwane City's struggles are evident in their recent matches. They suffered a 2-0 loss to Orlando Pirates in the MTN8 quarterfinal, played out a goalless draw with Magesi, and then succumbed to Chiefs. Their last goal in May came from a penalty converted by centre-back Lebohang Nkaki. The last goal scored from open play also came from Nkaki, against SuperSport United in April.
Despite finishing seventh in the league last season, Polokwane had limited scoring opportunities against Chiefs, primarily from set pieces.
"I think it was a tough match for both teams, but it was unfortunate that we became the losers on the night," Mohafe reflected. "We gave our all, but it was just that we conceded from a situation we have trained throughout."
Mohafe remains optimistic, believing his team will bounce back. Their next challenge is against Siwelele in Atteridgeville next Tuesday.
"I think it's work in progress because there are certain elements that we are improving on, especially how we start matches, the way we finish matches, but the finishing part needs work. In short, we just missed some, and had we scored one, maybe we could have changed the complexion of the game," Mohafe concluded.
Key Challenges Facing Polokwane City
- Consistent goal-scoring threat
- Converting set-piece opportunities
- Maintaining defensive focus throughout the match