‘Miracle man’ Igesund has lost his magic

SO MUCH FOR Gordon Igesund joining Highlands Park on a rescue mission to ensure the Absa Premiership rookies don’t make an immediate return to the National First Division (NFD). At the moment, he is doing a dismal job of it. When he took over from Alan Freese early in the season, it was with the hope that the multiple championship-winning coach would use his expertise to help the Lions of the North punch above their weight.

But six matches into his tenure and the rookies are no better off than they were when Freese was in charge; Highlands having only collected four points with Igesund at the helm. It is the same as they managed under Freese in five matches, although back then they had a win and a draw compared to the four stalemates with the four-time league champion calling the shots.

And central to the Ekurhuleni outfit’s pathetic start to their maiden campaign in the elite league has been their sieve-like defence that has let in a massive 23 goals in 11 matches.

Their case has not been helped by their profligacy in front of goal where not even the presence of known goalgetters Collins Mbesuma and Charlton Mashumba is making much of a difference.

Accustomed to getting things right, Igesund must be frustrated that he is yet to get Highlands firing so deep into his tenure. Sure they went to Orlando Pirates and brought back a point following a come-frombehind 2-2 draw, a result that any club would be pleased with. But the fact that wins are proving hard to come by must have Igesund pulling out what is remaining of his silver strands.

And that frustration could get even worse tonight when they host a resurgent Bloemfontein Celtic at Tembisa’s Makhulong Stadium. The match was abandoned last week due to bad weather.

Like Highlands, Celtic have already had a change of coach this season – Serame Letsoaka departing following a poor start to be replaced by joint caretakers John Maduka and Lehlohonolo Seema.

The club’s former stars had it tough in the beginning but seem to have turned the corner with Phunya Sele Sele going into the 7.30pm kick-off on the back of three good results that yielded five points. And it could so easily have been seven had Khetho Masuku converted a last minute penalty in the goalless draw against SuperSport United on Sunday.

That point though would have been much welcomed and Celtic will make the trip up to the Reef confident they can beat their hosts and add to their points tally and move up at least two spots, if not three, on the table from the 13th they occupy.

Such a result would make a further mockery of Igesund’s billing as a miracle worker and have the Highlands Park bosses beginning to wonder if they were not perhaps a little too hasty on the trigger.