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Fungai Muderere, Senior Sports Reporter

EX-Highlanders mentor Mandla “Lulu” Mpofu seems to be enjoying a new lease of life at the Botswana Premiership side Masitaoka Football Club where he has taken charge of 10 games in the process producing a 53 percent succes rate.

At Masitaoka, a club he joined in August last year on a one year contract with an option for a 12 months extension, Mpofu has seen his youthful charges so far amass a total of 16 points from a possible 30 which translates to the above-mentioned positive shift.

From 10 outings, Masitaoka, who last Saturday gored Extension Gunners 1-0 in Lobatse in their first match after the Christmas break, have won five, drew one and lost four in the process throwing away a valuable 12 points.

Masitaoka went for the Christmas break with their tails in between their legs as they were handed a 2-0 defeat by yet to lose league’s pacesetters Gaborone United who are on a massive 26 points also from 10 starts.

Despite that loss to United which saw Mpofu head back to Zimbabwe for the mini festive season break in low spirits, from their last five games, Masitaoka, who have scored 12 times and conceded nine, have an impressive Form Guide which  reads:

 W W D L W

This means Mpofu has seen his arsenal collect 10 points from a possible 15, a development that translates to a 67 percent success rate in the last five games they have                                                                                                     played.

“It’s work in progress, all credit goes to these boys who are putting a lot of effort and improving every day. It’s tough every week considering the average age of our squad is at 22 and just last week we played a 16 year old and at times I wonder whether this is going to work or I will embarrass myself. However, I’m overwhelmed by these youths’ performances,” said Mpofu in an interview from his base in Gaborone.

In their next league match set for Saturday, Masitaoka will do duty against Philani “Beefy” Ncube’s coached Nico United.

Philani “Beefy” Ncube

“It is just like any other fixture. I will concentrate on my game plan and strategy, take initiatives and make it a point that my boys enjoy the game and if possible, get a positive result,” said Mpofu.

Under the tutelage of Ncube, Nico United have so far collected 11 points from a possible 30 points, a development that decodes to a 37 percent success rate.

Nico United are on position 10, after having won two games, drawn five and lost three. They have scored three goals against nine and no wonder Ncube has put it on record that he has intensified his search for strikers as he hopes to address his team’s scoring problems.

Following their 1-0 triumph over second from the bottom placed Extension Gunners, the Selibe Phikwe based Ncube and his men went for the festive season break in a celebratory mood as they had ended their seven-match winless run.

However, last weekend Ncube and his charges failed to continue in that vein. Their mission to exorcise log anchors Holy Ghost botched as the two sides drew 1-1. In that regard, in their last five games, Nico United’s Form Guide reads: L L D W D

That is from the games under review, Ncube’s side has managed to accumulate five points from a possible 15 which speaks to a wanting 33 percent success rate.

 Mpofu and Ncube became the latest Zimbabwean coaches to work in the Botswana top-flight after the likes of Max Moyo, Luke Masomere, the late Willard Khumalo, Barry Daka, Raphael Phiri, Paul Moyo, Madinda Ndlovu, Rahman Gumbo, Shepherd Murape, Clever Hunda, Ezekiel Mpofu, Roy Barreto, and Bongani Mafu.

Gumbo, a former Highlanders and Warriors coach was recently fired by Sua Flamingoes and he is now with Morupule Wanderers on a two-year contract.

The former Highlanders coach started his job at Morupule last weekend with a 2-1 win over Mogoditshane after having found his new paymasters on position eight with 11 points. — @FungaiMuderere