In the effort to bounce back to the milk and honey of playing in the top flight football, Baroka FC are set to strengthen their squad with the signing of Matome Mathiane and Keletso Sifama, with both players set for medicals on Tuesday.
Mathiane was surprisingly let go by Chippa United after he featured in 25 matches in all competitions last season, earning a Man of the Match award against Orlando Pirates when the Chilli Boys won 1-0 at Orlando Stadium.
Despite all that, Chippa felt it was best to let him go and look for employment elsewhere. He spent 10 seasons with Golden Arrows, winning the Motsepe Foundation Championship title to gain top-flight promotion with them in the 2014/15 season under coach Shaun Bartlett when he was the skipper of the side.
Sifama is coming from Kaizer Chiefs on loan, having spent last term away on loan at Casric Stars in the Motsepe Foundation Championship.
The 20-year-old, who was rated highly by coach Ernst Middendorp in the 2019/20 season – where Chiefs finished as the runners-up, has previously been loaned out to Maritzburg United and Pretoria Callies, respectively.
With those players coming in, this publication has learnt that Baroka has also signed Tshepo Mofokeng from Pirates, Rabone Ntsoane and Khomotso Lekoloane from Polokwane City, Tumelo Makgolane from Mamelodi Sundowns DStv Diski Team and the club has brought back Thato Madigoe.
For Ntsoane it will be like a reunion of some sort with Baroka coach Stan Nkoane, having worked together to promote Sekhukhune United in the 2020/21 season. He also gained promotion with Polokwane City last season before he was released.
“I’m assembling a monster team that will push to get automatic promotion,” Nkoane said to iDiski Times, having been appointed in the last eight games of the club last season after Bushy Moloi was sacked.
Baroka, who were relegated from the top flight in the 2021/22 season – as per the PSL draft, will start the 2023/24 season at home when they host provincial rivals Magesi FC at Global Stadium on 27 August.
