Khumalo hopes Cup victory will spark a change of fortune
SITTING at the bottom of the Absa Premiership table with one third of the season concluded, this weekend’s Telkom Knockout final could provide the spark that defending champions Bidvest Wits need to get their campaign on track.
Wits head into the final against Bloemfontein Celtic at KwaMashu’s Princess Magogo Stadium following a bleak start. They have won twice, drawn thrice, and lost six times in the league. The Students have also failed to hit the target in four of their last five league assignments.
Responding to criticism about the defending champions’ poor form, captain Bongani Khumalo said they couldn’t hide from the statistics, but was optimistic that their league form would improve after the cup was settled.
“We can understand where it’s coming from but at the moment the fact is that we are in a cup final. It’s a great opportunity for the club to once again be a part of history and add one more trophy to the couple we won last season. From there we go on and focus on the league and make sure we get the points needed to start moving in the right direction,” said the former national team captain.
“It has been an undesirable start to the league which is not good, and the league table doesn’t lie. It is happening and we need to make sure we improve and move forward. When you play as champions it’s completely different. You have to work two or three times harder than before. Sometimes the ball doesn’t really bounce for you that well and you get decisions that go against you. A lot of factors change and every team wants to beat you. If teams get hammered before they play us, then when they play us it becomes like a Champions League final.”
Khumalo knows about that, having also won the league with coach Gavin Hunt at former club Supersport United.
“That is to be expected. We do have a lot of young players, and experienced players such as myself should obviously know better about what to expect, and it’s up to us to share that information. But the young players have also had a feel of what it is so there’s not much to be said besides the fact that it’s time to start getting points.
“As players we don’t want to be in that position. If you look at the log it’s nothing to be proud of. At the end of the day whether people like it or not we are the champions. I am a champion and I don’t like seeing where the club is at the moment at all. But it’s a lesson, football is a journey over a long season and a lot of good and bad things happen. Ultimately the most important thing is how we finish and that’s what we’re focused on.”
Meanwhile the PSL acting chief executive, Mato Madlala, and Cambridge Mokonyane of the sponsors, stood united in defending the decision to host the final at the township venue. Mokonyane said both clubs deserved their place in the final, and that playing in KwaMashu was a key component of their marketing strategy in reaching out to their customers.