We were underdone, says coach

Highlands Park caretaker coach Thierry Mulonzo believes a lack of preparation in pre-season led to the Lions of the North leaving the Absa Premiership as quickly as they gained promotion.

Highlands crashed out of the top flight after a disappointing season from them that lacked the spirited performances they gave in the promotion play-offs last season, fuelled by the fans who were packed into the Makhulong Stadium in Tembisa.

“We didn’t have a proper pre-season, we didn’t get the players that we really wanted because we didn’t know if we could give the players an NFD or PSL contract. We could only get one proven striker in the PSL and that is (Collins) Mbesuma pictured),” said Mulonzo.

The Lions of the North had 21 days to set out their stall after winning the promotional play-offs before playing their first game in the Premiership. Their short-lived pre-season brings up the question of restructuring the relegation system in the PSL that sees the 16th team in the Premiership drop to the National First Division, while the one above it makes up part of the play-offs along with second and thirdplaced teams in the NFD. These three sides play a round-robin competition with the winners getting the final Premiership spot for the following season.

Mulonzo’s men needed a win over Sundowns on Saturday to get into the playoffs, after Baroka FC won at Ajax Cape Town. But they could only manage a 2-2 draw, with Mothobi Mvala’s last-gasp equaliser not enough to save them from being relegated.

The Tembisa-based club also had three coaches in one season, with Allan Freese helping the team gain promotion and losing his place on the bench to the seasoned Gordon Igesund, before Thierry Mulonzo and Les Grobler took over,

“If we can keep this team intact we will bounce back straight away, we have a good team but we don’t know if players want to stay. Management must help us to convince the players to stay, then we will have a proper pre-season and can bounce back straight away,” added Mulonzo.