Alex Winter Rose FC’s coach Katlego Khalo said he is convinced that going into the next season of the Alexandra Northrand Local Football Association’s U17 league, his team will be better prepared to put up a stronger fight for the title.

This comes after they were plagued by the same old issues that cost them the championship in the previous season. While they had a good run this season, and fought hard to remain in contention, Khalo admitted they could not put in as much effort in the league as they do in tournaments. “Our problem is that players take tournaments more seriously than the league. They go all out in tournaments and win them. So, we had a meeting and I told them to stop focusing more on tournaments than the league. Mainly because we also finish second on the log.”

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He added that, going forward, they would have to fix these issues and ensure players take the league more seriously. “We have been consistent since 2023, and even now we are still consistent.”

Khalo acknowledged that, even if they fight hard to win their last match of the season, they would still remain a few points behind log leaders Happy Fighters FC, the same team that shattered their hopes of clinching this season’s title after beating them 2–1 in January. “It was our third-last game and we lost. It was a must-win match. Some players were not yet back from the December holidays. Those who were there were not fit enough. They could not last the entire game. Happy Fighters came well prepared, and we lost 1–2.”

Now, as the season comes to an end, Alex Winter Rose FC is once again left reflecting on how they missed out on victory. Khalo has already turned his focus to the missed opportunities. “There is no way we can recover, even if we win the remaining games this season.”

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Last season, Winter Rose also ended in second place, following a heavy 0–4 defeat to eventual champions United Stars. “What happened with our U17 now is the same thing that happened last season. We always lose a single game, and that is what punishes us.”

Khalo said he has already had a serious conversation with his players about breaking this pattern, and remains committed to ensuring they perform much better next season.

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