Seshego stadium came alive during its official reopening on Saturday afternoon.
And Magesi FC wasted little time in registering an emphatic 2-0 victory over an equally competitive Cape Town City in a pulsating Betway Premier Soccer League encounter.
The much-need victory could be a morale booster for Magesi, who have been on a losing streak since their promotion to topflight football.
The home crowd was a motivator
The hosts used home advantage well playing in front of a motivating crowd that packed the pavilion to the rafters.
Magesi opened their scoring in the first stanza through a penalty netted by Moedi Vandala in the 30th minute.
Coach Owen da Gama’s charges continued to hurl missiles at the City goal but Darren Keet was not easily penetrable.
The keeper was in good form
The veteran shot stopper produced acrobatic save after acrobatic save to deny Magesi the route to the back of the net.
The two sides went to the recess with Magesi leading by a single goal.
Magesi capitalised on goalmouth melee in the second half to increase their tally via a Lehlogonolo Mokone close range shot.
The triumphant Magesi demonstrated an extraordinary flair of focussed exuberance as welcome to the fans as rain to the dehydrated hinterlands.
Magesi should have scored more
Although they should have scored an avalanche of goals, their victory reignited the spirit of their loyal fans. The long-suffering faithful had expressed displeasure about the team’s poor form in the elite league for a while.
But left winger Tshepo Kakora will rue the numerous chances he failed to take to increase Magesi’s winning margin.
Even though Dikwena tša Meetse were not necessarily aggressive, there were instances when they were artistic and stylish. At some stage they were intense and horrible to play against, just what one would expect from a host side.
In the first half they soaked the pressure well
Their strategy was simple: absorb the tempest in the first half then build on in the second. The momentum was provided by an inventive midfield and a lethal strike force.
They managed to overcome a horror start. Indeed the first few minutes were a bit calamitous but that was followed by a demonstration of power and agility.
Magesi needed someone to open the door for them, and Moedi said thuma mina.
They launched a number of raids deep into City territory aided by an opposition that lacked aggression.
Their victory against The Citizens could lift their confidence ahead of the much-anticipated Limpopo derby. They meet the high-riding Polokwane City on February 18 at the New Peter Mokaba stadium.
Visit SW YouTube Channel for our video content
