When the Mighty Heroes FC conceded three goals in their match against Blue Aces FC, coach Kgomotso Shago Rampye knew they would need a hero wearing their colours to turn the game around.

Mighty Heroes had spent the first half of their Alexandra Northrand Local Football Association U15 league fixture committing costly mistakes which saw them concede easy goals to Blue Aces, who, if anything, aced their first half at the Altrec Sports Complex on Sunday.

Read more: A mean Mighty Heroes means business

Rampye attributed the goals to his defence’s lack of consistency, and poor communication. By half time, he sought to correct those mistakes. He said he pointed to lack of communication, telling his players that that is why their opponents are able to advance.

“I was playing 4-3-3, but I had two defensive midfielders. I told those two midfielders that when the opponent is coming at us, we must clear the ball. So, that we can get our strikers to score for us.”

Alongside the tactical reset, Rampye turned to his bench, introducing substitute Phephile Khumalo.e sidelines. Rampye had told him to identify weaknesses of the opponent they can capitalise on to equalise. “I told him to just be himself. I said he should take the ball and press forward,” Rampye said.

He watched like a hawk as his players took to the pitch for the second half, and he was more than content with their performance. The defence held tight without conceding any more goals, and the strikers, particularly Khumalo, who he had just fielded, scored a hat-trick. “He listened to me, did what I asked and scored three goals,” Rampye said.

Also read: Grit pays off for Malandela Mighty Heroes

Khumalo’s goals, coupled with Njabulo Mbokazi’s powerful penalty strike, gave Mighty Heroes the four goals they needed to seal the 4-3 victory, completing a turnaround that, in the first 45 minutes, had looked impossible.

Blue Aces chairperson Mzeke Mafa noted that they had the game in the first half, but their momentum died, and they started to concede. “The boys did not focus and we also got killed by the replacement of the backline. Someone else got in and they stopped doing what they were doing. That is where they started to lose focus and they never regained it.”

He said when he goes back to training this week, he will focus on teaching his defenders and midfielders how they ought to move. He noted that this was important because he had noticed that when they pressed on the field, they would all press at the same time, and leave their centre-back exposed.

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