JOHANNESBURG – “This is only the beginning,” Lehlohonolo Majoro boldly stated, predicting a bright future for himself and Bidvest Wits, who suffered the embarrassment of going from league champions to relegation candidates.
Majoro said this at the PSL headquarters yesterday, shortly after he was named Player of the Month for last month, with his coach Gavin Hunt walking away with the Coach of the Month gong.
Two months ago, Majoro wouldn’t have predicted that he would be walking away with such an accolade after a slow start at Wits - a club he joined while it was fighting to move away from the relegation zone. He credits Hunt for igniting the spark that has seen him show glimpses of the old Majoro who lit up the scene at AmaZulu eight years ago.
“I must say that I have always heard that players who have played under him (Hunt) are transformed,” Majoro said.
“I have experienced that because he has a way of unleashing something within you that you never thought you had. Since I have come here, I am playing better football than I was before. I am playing with a lot more confidence than I did before. I am looking forward to each and every game.
“I don’t know what is a better way to reward a coach who has played you week-in-week-in than with what I have done. But there is still a long way to go. This is only the beginning ... The most important thing for us is that we must finish in a respectable position as the reigning league champions and then start afresh next season.”
Wits have clawed their way from the bottom to sit in 10th place, three points from the top eight. A top eight finish would make this a respectable season for the Clever Boys, who won the Telkom Knockout last year to make it three trophies in two seasons. It could have been great had they also reached the group stage of the Caf Champions League but they crashed out of the competition atfter they lost to Primeiro de Agosto of Angola on penalties.
Gavin Hunt and Lehlohonolo Majoro during the Player and Coach Of the Month awards.Photo: Sydney Mahlangu/BackpagePix
The Clever Boys have now been relegated to the Confederation Cup.
“I was a bit disappointed that we were knocked out of the Champions League because it was one game that I felt we deserved to win,” Majoro said.
“We missed a lot of opportunities. We have let ourselves down. But it’s nothing to cry over. It’s all in the past and we must focus on the upcoming games. All is not lost. We still have the Confederation Cup to play for.
“Every match you play in the continent is an opportunity to learn. It helps you improve as a player because you learn in each and every game. It would be good to not only go to the group stage but also go all the way. We have to put the Wits brand on the continent.”
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The Star