Johannesburg - The past season was one to forget for Baroka FC as they finished stone last, being automatically relegated to the GladAfrica Championship. Bakgaga have only themselves to blame.
While bouncing back to the Premiership at the first time of asking will be their objective for next season, they must now make some calculated sales for squad investment ahead of the new season.
Players such as Oscarine Masuluke and Evidence Makgopa are experienced in the top-flight and will surely attract interest from other clubs.
Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos has already challenged Makgopa to find a new club if he wants to continue achieving national team selection.
Player of the season
Evidence Makgopa
Makgopa has the qualities required to succeed at the highest level. He is quick when it comes to transition play, has a decent first touch and has a knack of getting himself into good scoring positions.
With that being said, while he was ever-present for Baroka, he did only score three goals in the league last season which is not impressive, but this was also due to the fact that he often did not receive good service from teammates.
One would have thought that Makgopa’s Bafana selection would have inspired other players from the Baroka squad to push on a bit harder. It turns out that it was not to be.
Goal of the Season
Richard Mbulu vs Sundowns
In one of Baroka’s rare moments of note this past season, Mbulu left the Sundowns defence dumbfounded to earn his side a draw against Masandawana in February. He cut through the league champions defence, making them look like amateurs before finishing from a very tight angle.
This is surely a moment that Sundowns will want to forget.
Performance of the season
Baroka 3-1 SuperSport
Just when they looked destined for the drop, Baroka gave themselves a fighting chance of survival by beating SuperSport 3-1 at the tail end of the campaign last month. Baroka looked like a solid top-flight team for a change in this game, clinically punishing two errors from SuperSport to score two goals in the opening 30 minutes as Bonginkosi Makume converted twice from the spot before Makgopa added a third late in the second half.
Had Baroka showed the tenacity they showed in this game throughout the season, they probably would have finished solidly in the top-eight.
Signing of the Season
Sekela Sithole
Sithole scored four goals in the league last season, finishing as Baroka’s top scorer. All of their players could have perhaps done better and while Sithole’s returns were not the greatest, he did try and added value to the squad.
Should Makgopa depart this transfer window, it will be good for Baroka to try and hold onto him as he has the potential to tear up the GladAfrica Championship.
Most Improved Player
Denwin Farmer
With 26 appearances last season, Farmer played the second joint highest number of games for Baroka along with Manuel Kambala finishing behind only Makgopa (28).
The 25-year-old Farmer was the best defender in the Baroka FC side and is definitely a solid top-flight centre-back. He also did chip in with two goals which is just two fewer than the highest scorer Sithole.
One knows that things are bad when a centre-back was very close to being a club’s top scorer.
Disappointment of the season
Oscarine Masuluke
Best remembered for his wonder-goal against Orlando Pirates in 2016, Masuluke is now a veteran of the South African top-flight. One would have expected him to establish himself as one of the best goalkeepers in the land and challenge for Bafana selection.
However, inconsistency has continued to haunt the 29-year-old and he has yet to win a national team cap. Masuluke should have done better last season. Granted, he was not helped by a shoddy defence, but sometimes a poor defence can also help to expose the good qualities in a goalkeeper.
He should have also added more leadership to the Baroka squad.
Most Appearances
Evidence Makgopa - 31 (28 league, 3 Nedbank Cup)
Denwin Farmer- 28 (26 league, 2 Nedbank Cup)
Thamsanqa Mkhize - 28 (25 league, 3 Nedbank Cup)
Manuel Kambala - 28 (26 league, 2 Nedbank Cup)
Sekela Sithole - 25 (24 league, 1 Nedbank Cup)
Top Scorers
Sekela Sithole - 4 (3 league, 1 Nedbank Cup)
Evidence Makgopa - 3 (3 league)
Richard Mbulu - 3 (3 league)
Bonginkosi Makume - 3 (3 league)
Denwin Farmer - 2 (2 league)
2021/22 record in all competitions
DSTV Premiership - P30, W6, D7, L17, GF22, GA40, GD -18, PTS 25, Position 16th