Pogiso Makhoye keeps faith in Orbit College's survival chances in the Betway Premiership

The North West-based outfit, who only recently celebrated promotion from the Motsepe Foundation Championship, have found life in the top-flight challenging. Their latest setback came with a 3-1 defeat to Kaizer Chiefs at Nelson Mandela Stadium on Monday.

That result left Orbit in 15th position with 18 points from 23 matches, placing them firmly in the relegation zone with seven fixtures remaining. Despite the pressure, Makhoye remains optimistic about their chances.

"As I have just said, we're in the relegation zone, but we still have seven games to play from today," said Makhoye.

"Some of the teams that are there, we still need to go play them."

The coach stressed the importance of direct clashes against fellow strugglers, highlighting those matches as decisive in their survival push.

"For us, we need to press the panic button when we lose games against teams like Marumo Gallants and Magesi FC. But for now, we understand the challenges ahead, and everyone in the squad knows it won't be easy."

Makhoye also drew encouragement from his side's performance against Chiefs, particularly their bright start.

"We need to fight, and we need to be united as a team. Even on Monday, in the first 30 minutes, you could see the intention to perform," he said.

"If we can continue with that level of performance, especially from the first half, then we can survive."

Orbit now shifts focus to a crucial clash against Marumo Gallants at Dr Molemela Stadium on Sunday, a match that could prove vital in their fight to stay up.