The just-ended 2023-’24 football season will stand out in the coaching career of Morena “Festy” Lothane for a historic feat. He first led his team to the Nedbank Cup’s last-16 group stage, and then to the championship final of the ABC Motsepe League in the Free State.
However, D’ General FC was unable to win the provincial title, narrowly losing to Mangaung Unite FC (0 – 1).
In the Nedbank Cup, Lothane’s team was eliminated by Premier Soccer League (PSL) giants TS Galaxy FC. The local lads lost 0 – 3 to the 2019 champions in a fixture played in Bloemfontein.
“There are positives that I believe the club should pride itself in for this just-ended season, reaching the Nedbank Cup last-16 stage and competing for the ABC Motsepe League championship,” said Lothane.
“Very rarely does a club achieve such a feat in one term. Fortune did not favour us in the provincial league championship against Mangaung.
“The club’s consistent form is yet another aspect to be proud of, in my view. My mandate with the D’ General management team was to win the Motsepe League; however, I led the team to win stream A.
“Reflecting on the overall progress, I believe the team did exceptionally well.”
It was the first time D’ General reached the Nedbank Cup’s last-16 group stage since its formation in 2019. It was the second time the team lost to its arch-rivals, Mangaung, in the provincial final – the first time being in the 2021 season.
Lothane achieved the feat of guiding a team to the aforementioned group stage with Mathaithai FC, in 2022. His fairytale ended when Mathaithai lost 0 – 6 to the all-conquering Mamelodi Sundowns FC.
