How Ea Lla Koto beat the odds
Low-grade facilities don’t daunt the club
To say Free State Stars punched above their weight this season may be an understatement.
Ea Lla Koto crowned their campaign with the Nedbank Cup at the weekend having finished sixth in the Absa Premiership.
What stands out in their success is that they did it with limited resources, outshining many other Premiership clubs with top-class training facilities. Stars’ training base in Bethlehem belies the club’s top-flight status.
With only two training fields and change rooms made from shipping containers, it is difficult to imagine the team not flirting with relegation, let alone qualifying for next season’s CAF Confederation Cup.
But, somehow, coach Luc Eymael and his modest squad did the unthinkable.
Stars general manager Rantsi Mokoena admits their facilities are not on par with most of their Premiership counterparts.
“Some clubs have worldclass facilities but ours are not at that level. For me, football is not necessarily about facilities.
“The most important thing is that we can train there. It is more about being functional than how much your facilities cost,’’ reasoned Mokoena.
“Our plan is to move the gym from our offices [which are in the CBD of Bethlehem] to the training grounds. We still need to renovate that house [at their training grounds] where our MultiChoice Diski team lives. We will probably build a coach’s office there as well and a third field.’’
Come to think of it, clubs with opulent infrastructure such as Ajax Cape Town, with top-grade equipment at Ikamva, failed this season, including a trophy-less Kaizer Chiefs.
Ea Lla Koto’s story is a tale of against all odds and they deserve all the praises.