Moloto targets top-three finish and cup success with Polokwane City

Polokwane City head coach Bayano Moloto has set his sights on a top-three finish, qualification for the CAF Confederation Cup and a domestic trophy after returning to lead the club.

Moloto began his second spell in charge with a 2-1 away victory against Richards Bay in the Betway Premiership at the weekend. He has now outlined an ambitious target for Rise and Shine, despite taking over from Phuti Mohafe, who had guided the side to a top-eight finish before leaving the club.

“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.

The coach left Polokwane City in 2021 but said his return was not unexpected, as he had remained in contact with chairman Johnny Mogaladi.

Moloto said the chairman had previously suggested that he would one day return to take charge of the team again.

“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 [Real Academicals Soccer Academy], we kept on communicating, and he said one day I will come back and take over the team,” he said.

The coach added that his return had happened sooner than expected, describing it as a blessing after spending a long period away from his family.

“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 City’s next challenge comes in the MTN8 quarter-finals, when they travel to face Mamelodi Sundowns at Lucas Moripe Stadium at 6pm.

Moloto has indicated that he does not intend to make major changes to the team’s approach. Instead, he is encouraged by the progress made during preparations and the way the players have responded to the existing style of play.

“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.”

The future of defender Thabang Matuludi at Polokwane City remains uncertain, but Moloto confirmed that the player is still included in his plans.

The coach also warned Matuludi against moving to a bigger club if that could damage his prospects of playing regularly for Bafana Bafana. Moloto wants the defender to become an established member of the national team.

“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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