On AmaZulu FC's participation in the KZN Premier's Cup
It was a great tournament because it gave our new coach (Pablo Franco Martin) an opportunity to see players in action in a competitive environment. The tournament was good overall. It was good for our preparations ahead of the new season because we also have a couple of new players in the team. We don't have a lot of time left before the new season starts and winning this tournament was a morale booster. In the first match in the semi-finals, against Royal AM, we managed to score and won it 2-0, and in the final against Richards Bay FC, we drew 0-0 and won on penalties, but I think that is the game where we created a lot of goalscoring opportunities. That is one area we need to improve and we must work hard and ensure that we are ready for the first game of the season. Overall, I think the KZN Premier's Cup was all about learning more about each other as players, creating a good team environment and a spirit of brotherhood. Without those things, I don't think we would be able to achieve what we want this coming season. A lot of players got a chance to play, we also learnt about the new coach in terms of how he wants us to play, what he expects from us as players because we are all aware of where we finished last season and we don't want to repeat that. Last season was tough, especially towards the end, so we want to change the script this coming season. We have all been working hard to improve ourselves ever since we came back for preseason and, to be honest with you, it's been challenging and very hard, but at the end of the day, it's worth it because in football, you have to put in the work if you want to see positive results.
On pre-season so far
Things are coming together nicely. Our new coach is a winner, he just wants to win. Even when he talks to the players, everything he does is all about winning. He wants to create an environment where everyone can compete, everyone can be committed and try to win. In terms of the style of play, he wants us to play and keep the ball possession, but at the same time, we are all aware that games are different. There will be times during the season where we will play against teams that will not allow us to play and we will have to deal with that. We know what to do when that happens. We will come up against teams that will want to sit back and hit us on the counter. We will try and break them. Basically, that is what we have been learning while trying to prepare the team for what is ahead this season. The truth is, there is no playing manual in football. As long as the players buy into what the coach is trying to do and deliver results, that is all that matters. You can't say you are going to be playing a certain way all the time because what will happen when you come up against a team that stops you from doing that? We have to prepare for all scenarios and not have one particular way of playing football … and be competitive and try to win games. Pre-season tournaments are all about preparing for what is ahead in the season.
On what they want to achieve as a team
We had a long weekend with two matches to play and when we reached the final against Richards Bay, we had to give it our best so that we could finish the Premier's Cup on a high. Even though we didn't convert the chances, we created a lot of chances and the technical team is happy with the way we played. Of course, there is a lot we still need to work on and improve, like taking our chances. We need to encourage each other as players even when things are not going well. We need to build a team spirit. The fans are going to expect us to start the season by winning matches because AmaZulu FC is a very ambitious club. We tried to win something for them last season but fell short in the MTN8 final against Orlando Pirates. We will be expected to win this season and our fans deserve good results because they have been behind us and been very supportive. It's about time we play some good football and also get the results that they desire. We need to put this team where it's supposed to be because this is a big club and it deserves better than what we gave last season. A lot will be expected from all of us as players. As a senior player, it's also important that I lead by example on and off the pitch. I need to show the younger players how a senior player behaves because these kids will look at what you do and mimic it. You can't be telling them to work hard while you are sitting and lazing around. This is really a big season for me because we are aware of all the drama that happened last season. I need to come back stronger and focus on what I do best, which is to play. It's another season for me, I need to be stronger, stay consistent and help the club achieve what it wants to achieve this season.
Message to the fans
I know the fans have stuck with us through thick and thin this past season even though it was hard. This coming season, they must continue doing that and we really appreciate their support.
