Luck might be gone from Golden Arrows, says Mabhuti Khenyeza after 10th loss

Golden Arrows coach Mabhuti Khenyeza feels he has not lost the support of his players and the club’s management despite suffering a 10th consecutive defeat in all competitions.

A late lapse in concentration saw Abafana Bes’thende concede in added time to go down 1-0 to Sekhukhune United on Wednesday night, adding more misery to the club and extending their long horrible run of form.

The Durban outfit last avoided defeat in an actual match in October last year – they had a walkover win over the absent Moroka Swallows in December.

Since then, they’ve gone on to leak goals for fun, as well as make a habit of missing goalscoring chances.

Arrows look like a shadow of the team that once held second spot on the DStv Premiership log in the early part of the season.

The corridors at the Mpumalanga Stadium in Hammarsdale on Wednesday night were silent as the players avoided conversations and even eye contact, with great disappointment as well as worry being the pervading mood.

The usually energetic Khenyeza cut a frustrated figure as he spoke to the media at the end of the game.

The 41-year-old was quizzed about the emotions and mental frailties in the Arrows camp at the moment, while he was also asked if he still feels the support from the club’s management.

He was quick to express that he feels he has the full backing of Arrows’ bosses as they continue to support not only him, but his technical team and players.

“They give support to everyone around the club, from the players, management – even us as the technical team – it’s a big support,” Khenyeza said.

“We are all in this together, so they are here all the time. I’ve never heard any negative elements (in and around the team) because they are making sure they are supportive.”

Arrows, like they’ve been for months now, were their own worst enemies once more against Babina Noko as they dominated a huge chunk of the match and created fantastic opportunities to score the winner.

However, Khenyeza and his side were left to rue all of those missed chances as they dropped out of the top eight in the Premiership.

Khenyeza, one of the finest goalscorers in his playing days, believes his side aren’t necessarily short of good fortune, but rather require a mental shift.

“I don’t know what’s happening but at the end of the day, luck is for everyone. It might be gone from us ... What frustrates me is that it’s not like we’re a team that doesn’t play,” he said.

“It’s a team that plays and plays and create chances. And then now you need to have that killer instinct, because if you don’t have (it) the opposition, they live with hope (that they can come back and score).

“(You) see what happened (against Sekhukhune). I don’t think it’s luck (that we need) – it’s the responsibility that we need to take as players (and coaches).”