Last weekend carried a weight that went far beyond football. Our journey began on Saturday in Meadowlands, where the community gathered to honour and bid farewell to our league’s Vice Chairman, Tshepo Mnguni. The service was a reminder of the kind of man he was, principled, respected, and deeply committed to the game and the people around it. His passing is a painful loss to the entire football community. Rest in Peace, Tshepo.
But as life demands, we had to shift from mourning to the business of the day. Obaba travelled to Munsieville for the Mashobane Games, where we faced Piana Piana, a team we had beaten earlier this year. They warned us at the draw that they wanted revenge, and on Saturday, they delivered exactly that.
The match actually started with promise, with Obaba showing good energy and confidence on the ball, but a costly goalkeeper error opened the door for the opposition and shifted the momentum early. Even so, the team kept trying to settle, reorganise, and find a rhythm, but Piana Piana capitalised on their chances and the first half slipped away from us, ending 3–0. To their credit, the players continued fighting in the second half, trying different combinations and pushing to restore structure and belief, but the gap proved too wide on the day.
The match eventually ended 4–0, a tough scoreline, but also a reminder that even in difficult moments, the team’s willingness to keep working and keep trying never disappeared.
Sunday brought more uncertainty. We were scheduled to face OG Harmony, but they did not arrive. Only after 37 minutes, the time a first half would have taken, did we learn they had been involved in a car accident. We now await the league’s directive on whether the fixture will be replayed or awarded as a walkover.
This coming weekend, we face Lala Vuka at Mapoto, a team we have yet to beat in two attempts (a 2–2 draw and a 1–0 loss). But Obaba have been collecting their revenge of late, and we remain hopeful. It is also important to acknowledge that the team had gone two full weeks without any game time, and that lack of competitive rhythm may have played a major role in the poor results we saw this past weekend. Match sharpness is earned through minutes on the field, and without that continuity, even the strongest teams can struggle.
To our supporters, your loyalty is unmatched, your presence lifts us, and your belief sustains this team through every high and low. We ask you to continue standing with us, not because we claim perfection, but because we are committed to becoming better and restoring the standards that define Fathers F.C. Obaba are far from finished; we are regrouping, rebuilding, and resetting the standard with renewed purpose.
Stay with us on this journey, see you at Mapoto!
Obaba Babo
