Right planning gives Maritzburg great kick

A SOLID pre-season training camp with a settled squad set the foundation for Maritzburg United’s positive start to the new Premier Soccer League season after their dramatic battle against the drop in the last campaign‚ says coach Ernst Middendorp.

“It was very important to have settled preparations‚” the German said after his side took three points in their first game away against Bloemfontein Celtic at Molemela Stadium on Saturday.

Maritzburg had all their new signings in place by the time they came back from their holidays at the end of June.

“Only Dennis Wiedlich came three or four days later after he put all his paperwork in place.”

The new German defender‚ who is of Ghanaian origin‚ was among a host of new signings the club brought in after they had secured their topflight status by beating Jomo Cosmos in their last game of last season.

Some acquisitions‚ said Middendorp‚ came with a touch of good fortune.

“We would not have got Andrea Fileccia if it had not been for the bad injury that he had.”

The Belgian striker was the top marksman in the league last season before suffering a serious knee injury in January that ruled him out for the rest of the campaign.

Free State Stars agreed to terminate his contract in June and Maritzburg picked him up without paying a transfer fee.

Fileccia quickly recovered and debuted for Maritzburg in Wednesday’s 1-0 win.

Maritzburg also await defender Themba Shabalala‚ another Stars signing‚ to return from injury‚ which Middendorp said would not be before October. — TMG Digital