Siwelele boss Lehlohonolo Seema confident new strikers will end slow start

Siwelele coach Lehlohonolo Seema says there is no reason to panic despite his side taking just one point from their opening three league matches, with two new strikers expected to improve their fortunes once their work permits are completed.

Siwelele began the campaign with a 2-2 home draw against TS Galaxy early this month. They then suffered successive away defeats, losing 1-0 to Milford before going down 2-0 against AmaZulu.

Seema believes the main weakness is not the team’s ability to create opportunities but its lack of a reliable goalscorer to finish them. He revealed that Siwelele have signed two unnamed strikers and is confident their arrival will address the problem in front of goal.

“We are getting into the box but we still have last season’s problem … We don’t have strikers that can kill off games, and it’s not the club’s doing,” Seema said.

The coach added that the club was still waiting for the necessary documentation before the new forwards could join the squad.

“We have been trying to get the papers of the two strikers we have signed, but we are still waiting. After getting those two players in, we will be a better team because there’s no shortage of chance creation.”

The early results have left Siwelele without a league victory, but Seema said he was satisfied with the way his players were performing and conducting themselves. He maintained that converting chances was the only significant issue currently affecting the side.

“I am not worried much about the way we are playing and the way we are conducting ourselves. It’s just that we can’t convert our chances and it’s something that we all can see and we are aware of, but we will continue working.

“Yes, midfielders will give you one, two, three or four goals per season. A winger that would give you four goals, so we can’t rely on midfielders for goals. We need strikers. I am happy with the squad I have and I can tell you, we will turn the corner.”

Seema’s comments suggest he does not intend to make major changes to the team’s approach while the club works to make the two signings available. Instead, he is relying on the existing attacking structure to produce more opportunities and on the new forwards to provide the finishing touch that has been missing.

Siwelele have scored twice in their first three league fixtures, with both goals coming in the opening draw against TS Galaxy. They have failed to score in their two subsequent matches against Milford and AmaZulu.

The coach remains convinced the team’s fortunes can change once the two strikers receive their permits and are able to contribute. Until then, Seema says the squad must continue working on its finishing while maintaining the style of play that has allowed it to create chances.