Seema Calls on Strikers to Turn Siwelele's Fortunes Around

Siwelele FC coach Lehlohonolo Seema is banking on strikers Samir Nurkovic and Chiubuke Ohizu to solve the club’s scoring problems, as he remains calm despite a string of poor results.

Both players are awaiting work permits from the Department of Home Affairs before they can play.

Ohizu, who joined on loan from Sekhukhune United, requires a new work permit because the one he had with his previous club is no longer valid.

It’s the same situation for Nurkovic; since SuperSport United was sold and renamed Siwelele FC, any existing work permit he had with the former club is void, and a new one bearing the new club’s name is required.

Siwelele suffered their fourth defeat in six matches, a 2-0 loss to Durban City at Chatsworth Stadium on Tuesday.

The result disappointed chairman Calvin Le John, who went to the changing room after the game for a "soul-searching" session. The team’s only victory this season came in their first match against Golden Arrows, leaving them in 13th place with just four points after six games.

Despite the pressure, Seema is not panicking. He believes the team’s fortunes will turn once Nurkovic and Ohizu are available.

“Obviously, we are not scoring goals, and that is why we are waiting for two strikers… Hopefully, we will get them [soon], and we will be fine,” Seema said. “It is not that we are bad.”

Seema also noted several injuries and absences affecting the squad, including Nyiko Mobbie (who had surgery after an injury sustained with Bafana Bafana against Lesotho in the FIFA World Cup qualifying match), Siyabonga Ndebele, and Thabo Mokhele, who joined the squad just on Sunday, having been part of the Lesotho national team.

“I’m not panicking, and that one I can tell you,” he added. “We are still going to win games and turn the corner. The guys are working hard.”

Despite the negative results, Seema fielded a side against Durban City that was still of a quality, featuring established players like Ricardo Goss, Buhle Mkhwanazi, Grant Margeman, and Vincent Pule.

Seema remains optimistic, concluding that while the 2-0 scoreline was “too much,” the team is “a work in progress” and was never “outplayed” in any of its losses. He believes the team simply needs to improve mentally rather than adapt to a new club name. “We will come right,” he insisted.