Malandela Mighty Heroes FC continue to face an uphill battle to secure their first win in the SAFA Johannesburg Hollywoodbets Regional League this season. The team has lost three of their four matches so far, only securing a draw against Rebels FC.

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Their fourth game, against Diepsloot Arsenal played on November 9 at the Alexandra Stadium, was expected to yield better results, especially since they defeated the same opponent 4–0 last season. This time, however, Diepsloot Arsenal walked away with a 2–0 victory, showing that they came better prepared, or perhaps not, according to Mighty Heroes coach Reggie Baloyi, who believes both goals were unfairly awarded.

Baloyi argued that Diepsloot’s double goal scorer, David Mudau, was clearly offside when he netted the opener in the second half. He also disputed the penalty that led to the second goal, claiming the foul occurred outside the box. “The [referee’s] decisions killed us with both goals. We had the game for 15 minutes towards the end of the first half. Even when they brought in experienced players in the second half, we managed to contain them, but the decisions killed us.”

Despite the officiating complaints, Baloyi acknowledged that Diepsloot’s intent to exploit his defence was evident. He said they wanted to put the ball behind his defence, and admitted they had been quicker, creating more chances to score.

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He added that his players failed to follow halftime instructions. “We told them to continue exploiting the opponent, like they did in the first half, but they changed and played their own game. Now we go back to the drawing board.”

Diepsloot Arsenal on the other hand, was eager to redeem themselves, following last season’s defeat. Assistant coach Lebogang Mosia said he reminded his players of that loss before kickoff. “I told my boys: ‘The team we’re playing beat us, not because they were good, but because they scored goals. To win, you must score’.”

The message landed. “We got three points and our revenge. We’re happy.”

Diepsloot started the season strong, with a 3–1 win over Loyo Stars, but lost momentum after a goalless draw with Ma-Africa FC and a 3–1 defeat to Apaa FC. “We got too confident,” Mosia admitted. “Our defenders became complacent. We had to fix that and today we got a clean sheet.”

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