SIMBA Bhora coach Joel Luphahla has issued a defiant rallying cry, insisting his team will not stop fighting for the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League title despite recently slipping four points behind current leaders, Scottland.
The defending league champions’ bid to close the gap on the top spot hit a major snag last weekend after a shock 1-0 defeat to relegation-threatened Caps United at their Wadzanayi Stadium fortress.
It marked their first defeat of the season at their home ground in Shamva and could yet prove to be a defining moment in the title race.
However, Luphahla remains resolute, emphasising that as long as it is mathematically possible, his team will continue to fight with maximum effort.
Simba Bhora still hold a crucial game in hand over Tonderai Ndiraya’s table-toppers.
That fixture, a visit to fellow relegation strugglers Triangle this Sunday, presents the former Warriors winger’s side with a golden chance to trim the deficit to a single point ahead of the final four matches of the season.
Though many pundits have tipped the well-resourced Scottland to finish the job, Luphahla is refusing to surrender.
“There is still a lot to play for,” Luphahla said.
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“We still have got a lot of games.
“We have five games left, and that’s 15 points to play for.
“And I’m confident that we are going to come good on those matches.
“We have to win our game in hand against Triangle, which is not going to be easy, of course.
“But if we go there and get three points, it means that we are back in contention.”
Simba Bhora are playing catch-up to the rest of the league due to their participation in the Caf Champions League, where they ultimately crashed out at the first hurdle.
They were actually top of the log before their continental sojourn, which saw them endure taxing bus journeys to Botswana and Eswatini, sapping much of their energy.
“Playing catch-up is always difficult,” admitted Luphahla, who is coaching a Premiership side for the first time.
“I’m still to get that experience.
“I haven’t been in this situation before.
“I’m trying to use my playing days experience to try and make sure that I help these boys.
“But at the end of the day, coaching and playing are two different things. I’m learning and gaining more experience.”
The former Dynamos assistant coach believes his players possess the mental fortitude to bounce back from last week’s disappointment.
“I have got one of the strongest teams in terms of mental strength.
“We have to try and push. We are not just a football team. We are a family.
“We will sit down and make sure that we get back to our best.
“Because we have to make them understand why we’ve been on position one in the first place.”
Luphahla lamented that it would be a huge disappointment to have led the pack for so long “only to lose at the end”, but vowed to push the team.
“I remember when we came here, nobody gave us a chance to be where we are.
“The players have done well... we will try and make sure that we work hard and bring these boys back to speed.”
The under-par performance against Caps United was one Luphahla directly blamed on fatigue following the gruelling trips for the continental assignment.
His attempts to freshen up the line-up with wholesale changes proved fruitless against the Green Machine.
However, while losing their unbeaten home record was disappointing, Luphahla views it as a potential blessing in disguise.
“Now that we have lost at home, it has lessened the pressure, to say we have not lost at home.
“The pressure to maintain the unbeaten record was becoming too much to bear.
“I’m hoping that these boys are going to come back strong.”
For the crucial trip to the Lowveld, Luphahla will be boosted by the return of his most trusted lieutenant, defensive midfielder Butholezwe Ncube, who missed last weekend’s match due to suspension.
However, Triangle are not a passive opposition.
They are desperate, embroiled in their own fight against relegation.
Positioned precariously at 12th place with 33 points — only saved from the relegation zone by a superior goal difference — they are fighting for survival.
A win would catapult them further out of immediate danger, setting up a clash where two teams are fighting with title or survival intensity.
