MAKHWENGWE’S SOUTH AFRICA BREAKTHROUGH
Relegation-threatened Black Leopards look to Makhwengwe for redemption
LOCAL tactician, Phillimon Makhwengwe, has been roped in as a match analyst at a struggling former Premier Soccer League (PSL) side, Black Leopards FC, who are now on the verge of being relegated from the Gladafrica Championship.
‘Lidoda Duvha’, as the club is popularly known, is currently rock bottom with the strong possibility of relegating to the ABC Motsepe League with only 20 points accumulated and seven games left to play this season.
Nevertheless, the introduction of the local veteran mentor to the technical team is an attempt by officials to save the club from their somewhat disgraceful season.
According to media reports in South Africa (SA), Makhwengwe has been with Leopards for the past three weeks, working from the stands helping Head Coach, Joel Masutha, with their matches against Hungry Lions (0-0), Richards Bay (1-1) and in their 4-3 victory against Polokwane City in the Limpopo derby at Peter Mokaba over the weekend.
‘Da Phil’, as Makhwengwe is affectionately known, passed through the ranks of Gaborone United, Extension Gunners, Tafic, a Technical Director of Botswana National football Team back in 2013 to 2014.
This was followed by a recent short spell at Orapa United where he was engaged for the Confederations of African Football (CAF) based on his coaching qualifications, which qualified him to sit on the bench when the team competed in Africa.
Normally in football, when a coach is struggling to bring results and someone joins the technical team, it means he is there to take over the coach’s job.
Henceforth, this may be a great opportunity for a local coach to take over the reins of a South African club as it has happened in the past during the era of the late gaffer, Major David Bright, who was once at the helm of Bay United.
Efforts to source a comment from Makhwengwe were unsuccessful as he only referred this publication to his agent who could not be reached.
Meanwhile, Da Phil’s next assignment is against their fellow strugglers, Jomo Cosmos, on the 3rd of April, 2022.