That Hungry Lions missed an opportunity to go equal on points with log leaders Orbit College in the Motsepe Foundation Championship last week, doesn’t concern coach Henry Basie.
Lions would have been equal on points with Orbit, who drew 1-1 with Magesi, but lost to Black Leopards 2-1 away and are three behind heading into this weekend’s round of matches.
Lions will welcome Casric Stars at Windhoek Park on Sunday at 3.30pm and Basie insists that was not a missed opportunity.
“I won’t say it was a missed opportunity because we would have been equal on points and it would have put us under pressure going into the next game,” Basie told Sowetan yesterday.
“It would have been good if we had won our last two games, but sometimes, you need to understand that things happen for a reason. Sometimes, you don’t know for what reasons.
“As long as we are not far from one who is on top with points, at the end of the day is not to fall too far. Let’s see what we can do this week.”
Orbit have not won in their last two matches, with a defeat and a draw, but Basie says they are not bothered by what they do.
“I don’t hope for other teams to drop points. I want to win my games. At this stage, I want to make sure that whatever I can control I want to get the better of it,” he said.
“For me to say Orbit must drop points I don’t want, what I want is to win my games. We want to focus on ourselves.
“It’s about focusing on us and seeing how far we can go.”
Basie also expects a tough encounter against Casric, who will be high in confidence following their 3-1 victory over Venda Football Club last week.
“It's a very important game coming up this weekend and it is vital for us to get some points at home. It was a long week for us after we played Black Leopards.
“The we’er conditions on that side were not normal... So, it messed us up. But we can’t complain much about it. We had chances that we should have scored and buried the game.
“Playing Casric will be tough because they are coming from a win. We just lost. It is not going to be easy, but we need to try and get maximum points.”
Fixtures
Friday: University of PTA v Gallants, Tuks (3.30pm); Maritzburg v Leopards, Sugar Ray Xulu (7.30pm)
Saturday: Magesi v La Masia, Old Peter Mokaba (3.30pm); Rovers v Orbit, Isak Steyl (3.30pm); Milford v Baroka, Sugar Ray Xulu (3.30pm); Venda v Upington, Malamulele (3.30pm); JDR v Callies, Soshanguve Giant (3.30pm).
Sunday: Lions v Casric, Windhoek Park (3.30pm).
Lions confident of catching up with leaders Orbit
Basie’s side aim to dim Stars
That Hungry Lions missed an opportunity to go equal on points with log leaders Orbit College in the Motsepe Foundation Championship last week, doesn’t concern coach Henry Basie.
Lions would have been equal on points with Orbit, who drew 1-1 with Magesi, but lost to Black Leopards 2-1 away and are three behind heading into this weekend’s round of matches.
Lions will welcome Casric Stars at Windhoek Park on Sunday at 3.30pm and Basie insists that was not a missed opportunity.
“I won’t say it was a missed opportunity because we would have been equal on points and it would have put us under pressure going into the next game,” Basie told Sowetan yesterday.
“It would have been good if we had won our last two games, but sometimes, you need to understand that things happen for a reason. Sometimes, you don’t know for what reasons.
“As long as we are not far from one who is on top with points, at the end of the day is not to fall too far. Let’s see what we can do this week.”
Orbit have not won in their last two matches, with a defeat and a draw, but Basie says they are not bothered by what they do.
“I don’t hope for other teams to drop points. I want to win my games. At this stage, I want to make sure that whatever I can control I want to get the better of it,” he said.
“For me to say Orbit must drop points I don’t want, what I want is to win my games. We want to focus on ourselves.
“It’s about focusing on us and seeing how far we can go.”
Basie also expects a tough encounter against Casric, who will be high in confidence following their 3-1 victory over Venda Football Club last week.
“It's a very important game coming up this weekend and it is vital for us to get some points at home. It was a long week for us after we played Black Leopards.
“The we’er conditions on that side were not normal... So, it messed us up. But we can’t complain much about it. We had chances that we should have scored and buried the game.
“Playing Casric will be tough because they are coming from a win. We just lost. It is not going to be easy, but we need to try and get maximum points.”
Fixtures
Friday: University of PTA v Gallants, Tuks (3.30pm); Maritzburg v Leopards, Sugar Ray Xulu (7.30pm)
Saturday: Magesi v La Masia, Old Peter Mokaba (3.30pm); Rovers v Orbit, Isak Steyl (3.30pm); Milford v Baroka, Sugar Ray Xulu (3.30pm); Venda v Upington, Malamulele (3.30pm); JDR v Callies, Soshanguve Giant (3.30pm).
Sunday: Lions v Casric, Windhoek Park (3.30pm).