Mabedi optimistic about All Stars’ chances
NEWLY-APPOINTED Cape Town All Stars coach Patrick Mabedi believes the club could return to winning ways as early as tomorrow night’s Cape derby against Santos in the NFD.
Mabedi was announced as the new coach on Tuesday and took charge yesterday – just a week after the club parted ways with Mlungisi “Professor” Ngubane.
Former Kaizer Chiefs and Malawi defender Mabedi was present for the All Stars’ 6-2 drubbing against Royal Eagles in Pietermaritzburg last Saturday, but still saw enough to convince him to take up the post.
“I decided to take up the post because I saw potential in the players, because I watched them a couple of weeks ago,” he said.
“It’s just unfortunate that they’re on the bottom of the log,” Mabedi added.
“I was very happy with the response from the players in the first training session.
“And like I said, I’m shocked to see the team where it is. I think there are very good players at the club.”
The defeat was All Stars’ third in as many games, after a 2-1 loss away to AmaTuks and a 1-0 loss at home to AmaZulu, and came during assistant coach Dylan Deane’s short spell as caretaker.
While the result looks poor on paper, Mabedi believes the flaws will be repaired by the time that The People’s Team arrive at Parow Park.
“There were tactical and individual mistakes and I think the shape was not right. Those are things that I look at and I think the team can do better,” he said.
“We just need to work. I know there are a lot of things to work on, but we will get better. I think by the time of the game we will be ready.”
Mabedi, though, says that he has not been set a particular league position as a goal and is entirely focused on picking up a first win with his All Stars team.
“You can’t take three steps without starting at the first step,” he said.
“So the first thing is now to get the team back to where it belongs, because this team doesn’t belong where they are now.”