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Johannesburg -Anyone in his right mind would have refused to sign the ultimatum Jacob Sakala, Edward Williams and Mark Harrison did.
They were reportedly instructed to win the following four games or else they’d be shown the door.
To face and beat Bidvest Wits, Cape Town City, Polokwane City and Kaizer Chiefs is a big ask.
The trio were allegedly asked to sign a letter agreeing to this daunting task, but they were put on ice after they refused to sign.
It is almost impossible to imagine the team that has only won two games this season winning the next four against some of the best-performing teams.
Baroka have already lost one of the four matches to Bidvest Wits on Wednesday. And at the rate they are going, it does not look like they will win any of the rest.
They face a high-riding Cape side at home on Sunday afternoon.
City go back to Peter Mokaba Stadium – where they won their maiden cup – hoping to add to Baroka’s woes, who are still smarting from their 5-0 defeat by the Students.
The Limpopo side has not won a game since October. Ironically, their last victory was over Sunday afternoon’s opponents.
Under their belt
But that was then and City have since turned the corner. Eric Tinkler’s side are not pushovers and in captain Lebogang Manyama and Aubrey Ngoma, they have one of the best duos in the league.
The former SuperSport star is challenging for the top scorer’s award, having scored 10 goals – just one behind top scorer Tendai Ndoro – before this weekend’s round of matches.
The last time City were in town – Polokwane – they lifted the Telkom Knockout Cup when they defeated SuperSport United in December.
Before that they beat Baroka at the same venue in the same competition.
Tinkler’s charges are on a roll, having collected 32 points in 18 games.
And they are favourites to continue with their superb form against the hapless Baroka, who are likely to go back to the National First Division.
The fact that Baroka only have two wins under their belt proves that life has been too tough for them in the Premiership.
They have to start accumulating points – very soon – if they are hoping to avoid the drop.
The return of Kgoloko Thobejane to the dugout against Wits did not yield the required results and only time will tell if the management was right to sideline Sakala and company.
