Allan Freese, coach of Magesi FC reacts and seemingly out of ideas during the Betway Premiership match against Kaizer Chiefs at New Peter Mokaba Stadium on Wednesday.
Image: BackpagePix
Magesi FC head coach Allan Freese has admitted growing concern over his side’s defensive decline, describing it as a “worrying factor” as the Limpopo outfit continues to sink at the bottom of the Betway Premiership.
The experienced mentor cut a frustrated figure on Wednesday night as his team were dismantled 4-1 by Kaizer Chiefs at the New Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane, a result that further deepens their relegation fears with the season entering its final stretch.
For Freese, the issue was not just the defeat, but the manner in which it unfolded. Magesi were competitive for long spells early on, but once the first goal went in, the structure collapsed in familiar fashion.
“Yes, we were speaking about it on the bench, and it is a worrying factor,” Freese admitted.
“I’m asking why we are conceding so many goals all of a sudden. It has become a worrying factor for everybody.”
The coach pointed to a growing inconsistency at both ends of the pitch, with Magesi seemingly unable to stabilise either phase of their game.
After recent focus on improving attacking output, the defensive organisation that had previously kept them in matches has now fallen away at a crucial stage.
“In the last game, we lost and went home to work on trying to find goals. Today, it was the opposite; we didn’t defend well,” he said.
“So, I think again, do we work on the attack or on the defence?”
Despite the heavy scoreline, Magesi actually showed early signs of competitiveness, matching Chiefs in the opening 30 minutes and creating moments that could have shifted the momentum.
But the turning point arrived when Flavio Silva broke the deadlock in the 33rd minute, after which Magesi’s defensive structure quickly unravelled.
“I thought we did well for the first 30 minutes. We even had a chance to score,” Freese reflected.
“But we did not do well enough defensively. We go back and work again. There is nothing else to do; there are still games to be played.”
The defeat leaves Magesi in an increasingly precarious position, with time running out to correct their slide.
Attention now turns to Sunday, when they host Durban City FC at the Seshego Stadium in what is shaping up to be another high-pressure survival test.
With the gap to 14th-placed Marumo Gallants still within reach of a single result swing, Freese will know that repeated defensive lapses cannot continue if Magesi are to avoid the drop into the lower division.