Ayanda Patosi has shaping uo to do
IN football, there is no room to hide. As soon as the referee blows the whistle for the start of the 90 minutes, a player is exposed: if he’s not fit, if he’s carrying an injury, or if he’s overweight, the game will find him out. Cape Town City schemer Ayanda Patosi discovered this, to his detriment, and has had to rapidly change his thinking in order to get his form going again.
City have two crunch fixtures this week – a league game against Free State Stars in Bethlehem tomorrow night (7.30pm kickoff) and then the MTN8 semi-final second leg against Mamelodi Sundowns in Atteridgeville on Sunday – and Patosi will have an influential role to play. He is back in City coach Benni McCarthy’s good books: he’s still not in the shape and condition he should be, but he’s getting there and, with hard work and more game time, the PSL will certainly see the best of Patosi in the weeks and months to come.
The 25-year-old from Khayelitsha came through the ASD Academy in the Mother City. Spotted by Belgian club Lokeren, he spent six years playing in Europe before returning home to sign for City. Patosi was to be the Cape side’s star man – but, unfortunately, back home he fell into bad habits and his game suffered. Weight and disciplinary issues resulted in the player being in and out of the team. McCarthy, though, remains a big fan of Patosi. While he has disciplined the player on occasion, he is also on record as saying that, when fit and in shape, Patosi is the best “number 10 in the country”. But this season has revealed a new Patosi. He still has a lot of hard work ahead to be in top condition, but what’s more important is the fact that he has changed his attitude. It’s the big step he needed to take: because if Patosi is to realise his full potential as a player, then it’s vital that he don a cloak of humility and put in the work required.
“We have to get him to play as much as possible,” said McCarthy. “It’s the best way to get his match fitness going. He has worked very hard – and, for me, it’s always about trying. He has changed his lifestyle and changed his mindset – and I can see that he is more consistent at training, which is why you see that he has been selected in the starting team more often now. He now has the right attitude at training, and I will keep the faith and persevere with him. I have been very happy with his application.
“He is getting better, and closer. Against Golden Arrows a few games ago, he was all over the place, spraying shots over the bar; against Sundowns at the weekend he was getting it on target, but straight at the goalkeeper. Now, with games against Stars and Sundowns ahead, perhaps it will start going into the net.”
McCarthy is aware that City have a difficult week ahead, having to negotiate a tricky league fixture before the Cup semifinal. He will change things tomorrow with regard to team selection, in order to keep his team fresh for Sunday. It doesn’t mean that the idea is to forfeit tomorrow – McCarthy knows the league is even more important than the Cup, but he is confident he has enough depth to fight on both fronts this week.
PSL fixtures Today: Leopards v Pirates Tomorrow: Free State Stars v Cape Town City (Goble Park, 7.30pm); SuperSport v Chippa; Wits v AmaZulu; Arrows v Polokwane City; Baroka v Highlands Park; Chiefs v Celtic