Polokwane confounding the pundits
POLOKWANE City head to troubled Kaizer Chiefs on Sunday with a place in the Absa Premiership top four and yet more milestones under their belt in what is turning out to be a hugely promising season under Belgian coach Luc Eymael.
Polokwane’s latest success was a hard-fought 1-0 win over Chippa United on Wednesday‚ the three points secured with a fantastic freekick from skipper Jabu Maluleke eight minutes from time.
It takes the Polokwane side to 21 points from 13 matches‚ just three behind leaders Cape Town City.
But while the Mother City side have been receiving plaudits from all quarters‚ Eymael’s men have quietly gone about accumulating points.
“I’m very happy about the win‚ now we have 21 points which I think is a record for Polokwane City in the first round [of the PSL]‚” said Eymael.
The side have only lost twice in the league this season‚ a record bettered only by SuperSport United‚ while only the latter‚ Cape Town City and Mamelodi Sundowns have scored more than their 16 goals this campaign.
Eymael is now eyeing an unbeaten record run for the club in the PSL of seven games leading up to the Christmas break‚ but must get something from matches away at Chiefs and SuperSport next Wednesday.
“We travel now to Kaizer Chiefs and SuperSport United and I will certainly motivate my boys a lot to try and take some points there‚” said Eymael.
“It will be nice if we can get two points from these games‚ maybe three points‚ in football you never know.”
Eymael is in his first season in the PSL but has already garnered new admirers for the quality of the football his unfashionable team play‚ and his honesty in the assessment of his charges.
He admits they did not quite hit their straps against Chippa‚ but felt it was always going to be a difficult fixture.
“It was a very tactical game‚ not a lot of clear-cut opportunities‚” he said.
“I think we did not take the correct decisions in the final third‚ in the matter of crossing‚ the matter of passing and the through-pass‚ but Chippa is a good team and it was also very tactical on their part.
“We continue on a good track‚ we will take it one game at a time and see where we will be in the future.” — TMG Digital