Magesi FC head coach Owen Da Gama is pleased with his accomplishments since taking over at the Limpopo province club.
Da Gama anticipates a highly competitive match against Orlando Pirates on Wednesday in the Betway Premiership.
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Many consider this game a dead rubber, as Magesi will not achieve a top-eight finish this season, even with a victory over the Buccaneers.
Pirates, meanwhile, are comfortably positioned in second place on the log table, facing no pressure in this match.
The match will kick off at Orlando Stadium on Wednesday at 19:30.
"It doesn’t feel like a dead rubber to us; we are professionals. I know Orlando Pirates are second on the log, and nobody can catch them, but you saw their professionalism against AmaZulu—they put out their strongest team," Da Gama tells KickOff.
"Now we are all playing for pride, and Orlando Pirates is a big team. It’s going to be a very tough game, but we understand that it’s part of the game. As long as our boys can learn from this experience and gain something from it.
"When I took over, the team had only 5 points after 10 games and was at the bottom of the table. My only mandate was to avoid relegation.
"I promised them that we would accomplish that, and the team performed well. I always believed in myself, and I told the boys that I believed in them as well.
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"Many people say it’s a miracle, but it’s actually the result of hard work. In the end, we achieved our goal, and I received tremendous support from the chairman, management, and the rest of the technical team.
"It was worth the fight; it was worth the struggle."
Da Gama was named the Betway Premiership Coach of the Month for March 2025, following Magesi's remarkable four wins in five matches.
