His move paid off as club won promotion to the Premiership.
There was a time when Moeketsi Sekola was a feared striker in the Absa Premiership. He was at Free State Stars at the time and he finished the 2014/15 season as the league’s top marksman with 14 goals.
It has been three years and Sekola has not done much damage in terms of scoring but he has shown glimpses of his former self since his return to Highlands Park where he contributed six goals despite having joined halfway through their successful National First Division campaign.
Sekola said that after his breakthrough season the team was hit by a spate of injuries. “I had some injuries which disrupted my progress. But I have been fine since last season and have not had such issues,” he said. He is also much more mature now and knows that scoring goals is not his job alone.
“Coach Steve Komphela told me something very important. He said as a striker, if I don’t take it, (scoring) I have to make it (create chances for others),” he said.
Sekola left Stars and joined Highlands Park in January but they were relegated before he officially signed a contract. He was then loaned out to Chippa United where he spent six months and decided to rather play in the NFD because of the Chilli Boys’ constant changing of coaches.
“Everything was going well for me at Chippa until they made the coaching changes and things started to go wrong.
“I decided to come back to Highlands. It wasn’t a difficult decision because as a player game time is very important. I knew coach Owen (Da Gama) from our days at Bafana Bafana.
“It was not easy because they were doing well and I had to hit the ground running,” said Sekola.
The Lions of the North begin their Absa Premiership campaign against title favourites Orlando Pirates but Sekola believes they can tip the scales at Orlando Stadium on Saturday.
“Most guys here have played in the Premiership before. We know what is expected of us and I am sure we will make it happen.
“We don’t know what they are doing, and they don’t know what we are up to either. We have been working very hard and I am pretty sure that going there we can get something from the game.”
His move paid off as club won promotion to the Premiership.
There was a time when Moeketsi Sekola was a feared striker in the Absa Premiership. He was at Free State Stars at the time and he finished the 2014/15 season as the league’s top marksman with 14 goals.
It has been three years and Sekola has not done much damage in terms of scoring but he has shown glimpses of his former self since his return to Highlands Park where he contributed six goals despite having joined halfway through their successful National First Division campaign.
Sekola said that after his breakthrough season the team was hit by a spate of injuries. “I had some injuries which disrupted my progress. But I have been fine since last season and have not had such issues,” he said. He is also much more mature now and knows that scoring goals is not his job alone.
“Coach Steve Komphela told me something very important. He said as a striker, if I don’t take it, (scoring) I have to make it (create chances for others),” he said.
Sekola left Stars and joined Highlands Park in January but they were relegated before he officially signed a contract. He was then loaned out to Chippa United where he spent six months and decided to rather play in the NFD because of the Chilli Boys’ constant changing of coaches.
“Everything was going well for me at Chippa until they made the coaching changes and things started to go wrong.
“I decided to come back to Highlands. It wasn’t a difficult decision because as a player game time is very important. I knew coach Owen (Da Gama) from our days at Bafana Bafana.
“It was not easy because they were doing well and I had to hit the ground running,” said Sekola.
The Lions of the North begin their Absa Premiership campaign against title favourites Orlando Pirates but Sekola believes they can tip the scales at Orlando Stadium on Saturday.
“Most guys here have played in the Premiership before. We know what is expected of us and I am sure we will make it happen.
“We don’t know what they are doing, and they don’t know what we are up to either. We have been working very hard and I am pretty sure that going there we can get something from the game.”