Highlands and Steenberg show class in cup defeats
Gutsy displays could be teams’ springboard to league success
THE name Highlands Park still resonates nostalgically with many a football follower. The once-popular club had disappeared off the domestic landscape, but it has recently been revived – and, at the weekend, used the Nedbank Cup to launch itself back into the spotlight.
Now campaigning in the NFD, Highlands Park are back, they mean business and, based on an outstanding, courageous performance against runaway PSL log-leaders Mamelodi Sundowns, it shouldn’t be too long before the club is back among football’s top-flight elite.
Highlands Park took Sundowns all the way to extra-time and the big-spending, star-laden Pretoria club needed a special goal from Keagan Dolly to eliminate the plucky lower division team. But, whatever happens from here on in, the warning has been posted: Highlands Park are back!
Make no mistake, it was a hugely impressive performance, much like Cape second division side Steenberg United put in at Athlone Stadium on Friday night.
Steenberg held their own against top PSL club Platinum Stars, despite having defender Tshepo Moletsane sent off in the 62nd minute. The Philippi-based side still battled on, held their own against higher division opponents and took it to a 1-1 draw before losing 5-4 in a penalty shoot-out.
The performances of the two lower-tier clubs – Highlands Park and Steenberg – were a fantastic advertisement for the Nedbank Cup, dubbed “the FA Cup of South Africa”. The competition is designed to offer the minnows the opportunity to surprise topflight teams – and, while both Highlands and Steenberg lost, their gutsy displays were a magnificent reflection of the quality available in the lower divisions.
Established in 1959, Highlands Park were a force to be reckoned with in the now-defunct National Football League. Some classy footballers emerged at the time, including Jingles Pereira, Manny Pinheiro, Charlie Gough, Stewart Lilley, Martin Cohen, Trevor Gething and Bobby Viljoen.
In 1982, Jomo Sono bought the club and, ever since, there have been numerous changes in ownership and the club’s name. But, now, back competing under the famous Highlands Park brand, the flame of ambition has been reignited, as witnessed by the wonderful performance against Sundowns.
“I have to thank my team for a great job, I thought we were very good out there,” said Highlands Park coach Allan Freese. “We could definitely have won the match... the fact that their goalkeeper was man of the match should tell you the story.”
Now, though, it’s back to Highlands Park and Steenberg’s desire to win promotion. Highlands Park are in third position on the NFD standings, while Steenberg are third on the Cape regional second division log.
In the same way that Freese wants his men to replicate the form against Sundowns in their remaining NFD league games, so too does Steenberg coach Mike Lukhubene expect the same from his team.
“We did very well as a team against Platinum. But that’s just something to build on,” said Lukhubene. “Our main aim remains the league and that is what we need to focus on now.”