Milford still top of MFC despite two loses

Milford coach Mandla Qhogi sees no need to panic after losing two games on the trot, feeling that will prove to be a wake-up call as he attributes the mini slump to the pressure of being at the summit.

Milford remain at the top of the Motsepe Foundation Championship (MFC) table, despite the losses to Hungry Lions and Casric Stars. The KZN-based club have since switched their focus to today's Nedbank Cup preliminary round fixture away to Upington City at Mxolisi Dicky Jacobs Stadium (3.30pm).

“Not all is lost. The last game against Casric was just one of those days where we were not ourselves ... it was a bad day at the office and every team experiences that now and then.

“So, there's no need to start panicking. I think now that we are on top of the log, teams want to beat us more than ever and the boys are feeling the pressure that comes with being log leaders,'' Qhogi said.

“I can also say we were starting to be complacent, so these two defeats will be a wake-up call to say 'the work is not yet done, there's still a long way to go'.  We are going to bounce back.”

Qhogi bemoaned their congested fixture programme as they switch attention to the Nedbank Cup prelim round.

“We just played on Saturday and we are playing again tomorrow, the Nedbank qualifier, we are currently travelling to Upington [yesterday] and from there, we will go to Venda [to play Black Leopards in the league on Saturday], so it's a difficult moment for us but we will also give our best against Upington in the Nedbank qualifier,'' Qhogi said.

“By the weekend, we would have played three games in eight days and that's not easy at all, especially to recover the players ... we are not used to this hectic programme.”

MFC Nedbank Cup prelim round fixtures (all at 3.30pm)

Today: Casric v Baroka, Solomon Mahlangu; JDR v Venda, Soshanguve; Orbit v Kruger, Olympia Park; Upington v Milford, Mxolisi Dicky Jacobs

Tomorrow: Leopards v Spurs, Thohoyandou; Durban v Highbury, Chatsworth; Leruma v Pretoria, Lucas Moripe; AmaTuks v Hungry Lions, Tuks Stadium

Results

AmaTuks 4-3 Leopards; Leruma 2-3 Lions; Venda 1-1 Callies; Upington 1-3 Durban; Milford 0-1 Casric; Kruger 1-1 Orbit; Spurs 0-1 JDR; Highbury 0-1 Baroka

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