By Kuchineyi Lewis
Simba Bhora FC Head Coach Joel Luphahla admitted that the weight of expectation is immense as the defending champions continue to grind out results, narrowly edging Kwekwe United 2-1 in a tense away fixture on Wednesday.
Speaking after the hard-fought encounter at Bata Stadium, Luphahla didn’t shy away from the realities of coaching a title-winning side.
“It is never easy to be the coach of the champions.
“It is pressure, I took the job knowing that it is pressure.
“Here, a draw or a loss is not good enough. We just have to win,” he remarked.
Simba Bhora grabbed a dramatic late winner after a heated contest filled with missed chances, midfield duels, defence splitting passes and high adrenalin.
Despite Kwekwe United’s lowly position on the table, Luphahla was full of praise for their spirited display.
“When we came here, we knew what we were facing. People do not give credit where credit is deserved.
“They play good football,” he said, referencing Kwekwe’s performance against Dynamos as a warning sign. “You would have thought they were at home.”
Simba Bhora dominated large spells of the first half but failed to convert several clear-cut chances and Luphahla attributed the wastefulness to fatigue but expressed satisfaction with the team’s resilience.
“It is a game that we could have won easily. We wasted a lot of chances.
“I don’t know, maybe it is because of the fatigue creeping in,” he noted. “But I am happy we were the last ones to score.”
While pleased with the victory, the coach was wary about conceding.
“I am one coach who doesn’t like to concede,” he admitted. “But it was a good strike. We can’t take anything away from it.”
Looking ahead, Luphahla acknowledged the tough fixtures piling up, including clashes against Greenfuel at home before travelling to face bitter rivals Scotland FC.
He emphasized the importance of mental strength and team cohesion, especially after integrating 13 new players this season.
“Bringing in 13 players is never easy to make a team. It will take time, but I’m glad the boys are adapting,” he said.
Simba Bhora now shifts focus to their upcoming home game this weekend, knowing that as champions, the margin for error is minimal.
“Because we are the defending champions, we should play like champions,” Luphahla concluded.
