ANDREA FILECCIA SHOWS WELCOME RETURN TO FORM
"Now I have been playing regularly and the confidence is back. So far it feels good."
The 26-year-old now has seven goals in his last 10 starts, and most have been of the highest quality as he shows composure in the box, his lack of physical presence compensated by an instinctive knowledge of where to position himself.
Fileccia was a junior at top Dutch club Feyenoord, but never played for the first team and was in the lower leagues in Belgium when he was brought to South Africa by Belgian coach Tom Saintfiet, who had a brief spell with the team.
He had played just five matches before suffering his first injury - a blow that saw him miss the second half of the 2014/15 season.
He returned for the start of the next campaign netting five goals in his first six games, but a horror tackle from Bloemfontein Celtic’s Tshepo Rikhotso again meant he missed almost the entire second half of his second season.
He only returned to full fitness 14 months later, by which time Stars had released him to Maritzburg after six goals in 12 league starts.
The first half of this season was also blighted by niggling injuries, but finally with a run of games under his belt, he has started to show his predatory instincts and why, when fit, he is such an asset.
"Andrea Fileccia is unbelievable in his movement up front, really good," Maritzburg coach Fadlu Davids said. "He knows when to run, when to steal in behind the defence line. You can really count on him at any moment.”
Fileccia will be a key figure again when Maritzburg take on BidVest Wits in the Absa Premiership tonight (Tuesday) and should be in front of mind for TAB Soccer punters when making
their picks.