By Sports Reporter
Jumbo Giants have turned their attention to this weekend’s Northern Region Soccer League clash against Shamva Mine, with coach Arthur Tutani confident his side can recover from their first defeat under his tenure.
The miners suffered a narrow 1-0 loss to Highrange on Saturday, ending a four-match unbeaten run that had seen Jumbo Giants emerge as one of the league’s in-form sides.
The defeat dropped the club from fifth to ninth on the MCM Estates Northern Region Soccer League standings, where they remain on 26 points after 18 matches. They now trail log leaders Black Rhinos by eight points.
Despite the setback, Tutani believes the defeat will not derail the progress his team has made since his appointment.
“It is our first home defeat since I joined the club, but we are not throwing in the towel. We will soldier on,” said Tutani.
The coach said the technical team would assess the team’s shortcomings before their next assignment.
“We will go back to the drawing board, work on the grey areas and correct them. It was a bad day in the office, but we are down, not out,” he said.
Tutani has overseen a marked improvement in Jumbo Giants’ fortunes since taking over, guiding the team to victories over Zambezi Coal & Gas, MWOS U19 and Marere FC, as well as an away draw against FC Oden before the Highrange defeat.
Jumbo Giants will now look to resume their winning run when they travel to face Shamva Mine on Saturday. Their opponents are currently 21st on the league table with 17 points and are battling to avoid relegation, setting the stage for a crucial encounter for both sides.
