Jomo Cosmos FC players
by MTHULISI SIBANDA
JOHANNESBURG – OFF-form, dangerously-placed on the log and running out of games to save their GladAfrica Championship status, it seems inevitable Jomo Cosmos will be relegated from the second tier of local football.
The situation appears desperate for one of South Africa’s most famous teams as they occupy one of two relegation spots (15th) with four matches left.
With the odds heavily stacked against Ezenkosi, the side is clinging to hopes of a late rally to retain its status.
This starts with a match that has assumed six-pointer dimensions against fellow relegation-haunted side, Royal Eagles, who are rock bottom on 19 points, four less than Cosmos.
The bottom-of-the-table encounter is set for the Johannesburg Stadium on Wednesday (tomorrow).
Cosmos management are putting on a brave face ahead of the match that kicks off at 15h00 with neither of the sides wary of a slip up.
“We are relaxed and focused,” Brian Sepabole, the Ezenkosi assistant coach, assured.
“The spirit is good and we are looking forward to our next game, since we are taking each game as it comes.”
He said the thought of relegation had not crossed the team’s mind.
“We need all the positive energy around us. We can’t afford to even think negatively,” Sepabole said.
The legend, who assists head coach and founder, Jomo Sono, said they were not reading much into the placing of Eagles on the log.
Both teams have secured a draw and loss since the resumption of the GladAfrica Championship after a five-month break caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdown.
“We just have to treat it (Eagles fixture) the same way like other matches,” Sepabole said.
“As I said (before), it’s one match at the time until we finalise the league…, same commitment, focus and better approach than the previous match,” he added.
Cosmos, four points behind TS Sporting and winless in the past five matches, showed vast improvement in a goalless draw against Playoff-chasing Uthongathi on Sunday.
A blunt strike force that has scored the lowest number of goals in the league (17) in 26 matches, was again their Achilles heel.
Sepabole believes the team has also been unlucky.
“So, our strategy is to continue trying to turn our luck around. We have been creating a lot of chances. We just need to convert them into goals, which we are working on,” he told CAJ News Africa.
After Eagles, Sono’s side face mid-table sides, Free State Stars, Pretoria University and Steenburg United.
Jomo Cosmos’ current predicament highlights the lowest point in the club’s 37-year history.
Their worst season to date is a 13th place finish last season.
– CAJ News
