Polokwane City boss Bayano Moloto targets defensive improvement during MTN8 break

Polokwane City coach Bayano Moloto says the MTN8 break has come at the right time, with his side conceding nine goals in their opening four matches of the season.

Rise and Shine have allowed three goals in each of their past two matches, including a 3-2 defeat by Mamelodi Sundowns in the MTN8 quarter-final and a 3-3 draw against Stellenbosch in the Betway Premiership.

Moloto is concerned by Polokwane City’s defensive record and wants to use the break to address the problems before their next league fixture against newcomers Milford on 26 August.

“If you want to be in a good position, you should not concede. We just give away goals, but it is something that we are working on,” Moloto said.

Polokwane City began the campaign by conceding once against Richards Bay. They then shipped three goals in their draw with Stellenbosch, two against Sekhukhune United in their most recent league match and three in the loss to Mamelodi Sundowns.

The sequence has left Moloto keen to use the additional preparation time to improve his team’s organisation without the ball.

“The cup break came at a good time because playing three games in six days takes a lot, so it gives us more time to prepare,” he said.

The coach also believes the pause will allow his players to recover after a demanding run of fixtures and give the squad time to correct the details that have contributed to their defensive difficulties.

“[We need] more time to recover and do things right. I was happy with the performance against Sekhukhune. We lost with pride, and our boys fought hard, and we will build from this performance for the next game.”

Despite the number of goals conceded, Moloto said there had been progress in one important area of defensive play. He was particularly encouraged by his side’s work at set pieces.

However, he is “happy that in a set play we are much better and we’ve improved a lot”.

Polokwane City have also been without defender Thabang Matuludi so far this season. Matuludi has yet to feature for the club because of an injury and fitness concern after returning from the Fifa World Cup with Bafana Bafana.

His absence has been felt at the back as Moloto attempts to establish a more dependable defensive unit. The coach will now have the break to work with his players before Polokwane City return to Betway Premiership action against Milford on 26 August.

The clash with Mamelodi Sundowns was Polokwane City’s only MTN8 match, while their other three games have come in the league. Their next challenge will be to turn the improvements identified by Moloto into a stronger defensive performance when the competition resumes.

The audio version of this story was generated using AI.