New Polokwane City coach Bayano Moloto has revealed what he wants to achieve with Rise and Shine this season after taking over from Phuti Mohafe.
The plan is to finish in the top four and go to one of the semifinals and lift one of the cups and try to get position three
— Bayano Moloto, Polokwane City headcoach
Moloto, who got his reign at Polokwane under way with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Richards Bay away in the Premiership at the weekend, said his objective is to finish third and qualify for the CAF Confederation Cup, while winning one of the trophies on offer.
“The plan is to finish in the top four and go to one of the semifinals and lift one of the cups and try to get position three. Maybe we can also qualify for the CAF Confederation Cup. That’s the aim we want to achieve at the end of the day,” Moloto said.
With Mohafe having managed to guide the team to a top-eight finish before departing, Moloto, who left the club in 2021, said he was not surprised to have rejoined Rise and Shine.
“I knew because when I left the team in 2021, I asked the blessing from the chairman [Johnny Mogaladi], and every time we met, even when I was working in Ghana [for Real Academicals Soccer Academy], we kept on communicating, and he said one day I will come back and take over the team,” he said.
“But I think it came early. We always plan, but God decides, so I can say it was a blessing in disguise for me also to be with the family because I have been away from my family for a long time.”
Polokwane will have shifted their focus to the MTN8 quarterfinal at the weekend, where they will visit Mamelodi Sundowns at Lucas Moripe Stadium at 6pm.
Moloto said he won’t be changing much in terms of how the team has been playing.
“The preparations have been going well, and I’m happy with the progress of the players and what we have implemented in terms of style of play, even though I’m not going to change much. But there is a lot of improvement.”
With the future of defender Thabang Matuludi still uncertain at the club, Moloto said he is still part of his plans and advised him not to join any big club.
“It doesn’t make sense to go to a bigger team, and at the end of the day you lose your spot in the Bafana Bafana squad, because we want him to be one of the regulars in the national team.”
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