Maritzburg United eyeing Top 8
After surviving relegation, the Team of Choice has big ambitions for this season despite a poor start
MARITZBURG United have continued with their usual luckluster start to the season, when they drew 1-1 with Highlands Park at home and lost 1-0 to Golden Arrows away. This does not argue well with the team’s ambition of finishing in the top 8 bracket this season.
The Team of Choice finished 15th in the last league campaign, and they were forced to fight for their PSL status via promotion/ relegation playoffs. The Team of Choice retained its spot in the Absa Premiership for the 2019/20 season after winning all their playoff matches, under the guidance of Coach Eric Tinkler. The coach is delighted with the attitude and energy displayed by his team in their first matches of the 30-game season. Even though he was disappointed with the loss to Golden Arrows, he remains happy with the overall performance of his team. According to him, his team has created sufficient momentum to aim for a top 8 finish this season.
He believes that the squad he has this season is better than that of last season despite losing two influential midfielders Fortune Makaringe and Siphesihle Ndlovu to Orlando Pirates. He stated that, “If I look at the squad right now, what we have assembled and the new players we obviously brought in, I think we created a very competitive team. If I had to compare it to last season I think we have two players in each position and either of those two could potentially be in the starting lineup. We created a competitive environment and that is important going forward as we want to improve from last season. It was very important for us a club to strengthen the team, I also think the players we brought in are going to help us in that area. We are definitely going to be competitive this season. My personal ambition is to try and finish in the Top 8 and I think it’s every coach’s ambition in the PSL. That will be our main target is to go for that Top 8.” Tinkler added that, “looking at the players we have and players we brought in, I think we potentially could do that.”
Maritzburg United signed Judas Moseamedi, Phumlani Ntshangase, Kwanda Mngonyama, Yusuf Jappie, Daylon Claasen, Thamsanqa Sangweni and three foreign players namely; Gabriel Nyoni (Zimbabwe), Daniel Morgan (New Zealand) and Micah Lea’alafa (Solomon Islands).
The newly recruited Daylon Claasen said he is happy to be in Maritzburg. He admires the style of play of the team, it fit his game. He added that, “We have a lot of good players and I like what the coach (Tinkler) said, that we are aiming for a Top 8 position. This season will be much better than last season.”
Claasen believes that the void left by the departure of Ndlovu and Makaringe will be filled, “We have enough good players, and even if I don’t play there is still players that can compete. Keagan (Buchanan) is back from injury and I know he is a good player. Players come and go, but as long as the ones that are still here perform at their peak, I’m sure everything will be fine.”
The fans, and everybody concerned are anciously looking forward to how the team will perform this season.