by AKANI CHAUKE
JOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News) – WINLESS in six games, in desperate need of goals and embarrassingly dumped out of the Nedbank Cup, the situation is increasingly dire at DStv Premiership newcomers, Sekhukhune United.
Coach McDonald Makhubedu’s side are going through their leanest spell and have failed to win six matches, including five in the league where they failed to score.
They have also fallen at the first hurdle of the Nedbank Cup after GladAfrica Championship side, Platinum City Rovers knocked them out on penalties.
In the process, Babina Noko were the first Premiership side to fall to a lower division side in this tournament synonymous with giant-killing acts.
Drifting down the table and pale shadow of the surprise package they were at the beginning of the season.
Sekhukhune’s last win, and league goal for that matter, seems like distant memory.
It came on September against SuperSport United in the ill-mannered encounter against at the Lucas Masterpieces Moripe Stadium.
An 87th minute goal by Tshediso Patjie settled the match that had a player sent off from each of the sides.
That is 453 minutes without a goal.
Besides the loss to former GladAfrica Championship rivals, Royal AM, on Tuesday, Sekhukhune had suffered loses against Marumo Gallants (0-1), Kaizer Chiefs (0-2).
Goalless draws have come in between against SuperSport United and Chippa United respectively.
They have been drifting down the log and now sit on the log with 25 points from 18 matches.
Scored lowest number of goals of all the teams in the lucrative top eight, and have the worst goal difference (0).
They were on course for a victory in the Nedbank Cup after taking an early lead through captain Yusuf Maart at Olen Park Stadium but allowed Rovers an injury-time equalizer before the match went to penalties which they lost 3-2, leaving Makhubedu scathing of his players.
He criticized them of “undermining our opponents” as well as strikers of not getting involved in the penalty shootout that ended 3-2.
The coach however was full of praise after the defeat to Royal AM, arguing it was their best game of the season.
This somehow illustrates how their standards have fallen lately.
“This is our best game of the season,” Makhubedu claimed.
“I’m happy for them (players), although we lost but their goalkeeper (Patrick Nyame) helped them a lot,” he added.
“We were unlucky. We could have scored five I think. They had two or three chances also but we were just on top of them.”
Makhubedu added: “I’m happy for the performance. I want to lose like this, unlike last week (against Rovers). I will take this one.”
Sekhukhune, who released nine players during the transfer window in January, host relegation-haunted Baroka at Makhulong on Sunday.
They will face a Baroka side buoyed by an unlikely 1-1 draw against run-away leaders, Mamelodi Sundowns, defeated high-flying Royal AM, Sekhukhune’s conquerors on Tuesday, and have unlike Sekhukhune qualified for the next round of the Nedbank Cup.
Makhubedu retained confidence they will end their bad run.
“We will build on this (performance against Royal AM). If we take half of this to the next game, we will do well,” he said.
– CAJ News