Masutha's target is return to Premiership

New Baroka coach Joel Masutha aims for nothing less than taking Bakgaga back to the Premiership, suggesting anything else would mean he's failed.

Masutha joined Baroka over the weekend, replacing Foster Hlongwane who was in charge on an interim basis. Masutha's first game at the club will be against Cape Town Spurs away on November 22 after the Fifa break.

“This is a promotional league. I think every team, even the last on the log, it'll still be saying that its ambition is to gain promotion, so even us, it's the same thing. In a promotional league, you will only be judged by promoting the team, otherwise, you'll be deemed a failure,'' Masutha said.

Masutha couldn't stop waxing lyrical about Baroka and what the club stands for. The 52-year-old believes his coaching philosophy matches Baroka's way of doing things. Baroka were relegated to the second tier in the 2021/22 season.

“I feel honoured and humbled joining a team with such a history of producing [great] players. I think almost all the clubs in the PSL have players from here. It's a team that also believes in youth and it doesn't stand in the way of the players,'' Masutha said.

“Also looking at how they play, their playing style doesn't change; it has never changed and I think it also suits the way I want to play.”

Baroka are 11th on the table with 12 points after 10 games. Masutha believes Bakgaga deserve to be higher on the table, vowing to work towards improving their log standing.

“I am thrilled and looking forward to enjoying myself and making sure that we also change the team's fortunes because I believe the team deserves better and belongs to a higher position on the log and that's what we are going to strive to do. We will work hard to push the team up,'' Masutha said.

Results

Milford 1-0 Upington; AmaTuks 1-1 Venda; Leopards 0-0 Kruger; Baroka 3-1 Leruma; Orbit 2-0 Spurs; Callies 0-3 Highbury; Durban 5-2 JDR

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