Hawks FC secured their first win for the South African Football Association Johannesburg Hollywoodbets Regional League season.

They took three points after beating Armor FC 3–1 at Rabie Ridge Stadium on October 3.

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The victory moved coach Comfort Makhanya’s side to seventh on the table with three points from three matches. Hawks have scored four goals and conceded five, leaving them with a negative one-goal difference. Following their promotion last season, when they battled Midrand United FC for the title and promotion, Hawks entered the regional league with little idea of what to expect, but believed their quality would help them compete.

Against Armor, Hawks produced three team goals, with Tumelo Matjeng opening the scoring after a high press from the top forced an opportunity. Armor levelled the match before Livi Ubisi restored the Hawks’ lead with a composed finish. Hawks then secured the points through an own goal created by another effective high press.

Makhanya said the victory gave his players belief rather than confidence. He stated that while confidence is fragile after a single result, belief in their process, principles, and identity runs deeper. He added that one win does not make them title contenders, just as two defeats did not make them a bad team, noting that the season is a 28-game marathon and the table lies until 10 games are played.

Paying credit to Armor FC as tough opponents at Rabie Ridge, Makhanya said that after two defeats, pressure was a privilege. He added that the team stayed process-driven rather than result-driven, expressing pleasure with their performance in duels, second balls, and rest defence, and noted that the performance served as a key reference point moving forward.

Hawks had suffered a 1–0 defeat to Westbury Munich in their opening yellow stream league match on September 24, before losing 3–1 to Alex Black Poison. Both opponents finished in the top five last season.

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With pressure mounting ahead of the Armor fixture, Makhanya made three tactical adjustments. He explained that the team implemented a compact 4-4-2 mid-block to force play wide and win second balls, adjusted their rest defence with a double pivot to allow the fullbacks to overlap, and improved their efficiency in both boxes by scoring three goals from four shots on target.

He praised the players’ character, stating that a player-led dressing room was stronger than one led solely by a coach. Hawks used their training sessions from Tuesday to Thursday to focus on high intensity, while senior players drove standards and helped maintain structure during the match.

Despite the win, Makhanya said there was still room for improvement, particularly in transitions, box defending, the connection in their 4-2-3-1 formation, chance creation and game management.

The club’s immediate target is to stabilise, build an identity and become difficult to beat, with a goal of remaining in the top eight by Christmas. Their next league fixture is away against log leaders Diepsloot Arsenal on October 10, followed by a Midrand derby against Vossies FC on October 17.

Hawks also progressed in the Renault Cup after beating Gift and Givers 5–4 on penalties on October 4.

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