Tuks reflect on difficult second season

UNIVERSITY of Pretoria coach Steve Barker says he hopes his side will be mathematically safe from the potential of relegation before they take on Kaizer Chiefs in their next Premier Soccer League encounter.

A draw in Durban at the weekend away at amazulu did not ensure amatuks’ survival for a second season but put them on the cusp of safety.

“Mathematically, Polokwane City are five points away from us with two games to go so anything can still happen but I do believe we are almost there.”

Barker’s charges do not play again until May 6 because their penultimate clash of the season at the weekend with Chiefs has been postponed because the defending champions play in the Ivory Coast.

“The other clubs should have played their second-last match by the time we take on Chiefs so I hope it will all be resolved and we go into the game with a good sense of freedom,” he said.

There is no chance of amatuks replicating last season’s dream debut in the Premier soccer League where they finished eighth.

“We all knew deep in our heart that the second season was going to be very tough.

“I personally feel the first five years are ones of consolidation; you become a PSL team in terms of your on-the-field performances as well as off the field. “We are still learning a lot. There were a couple of transfers we weren’t able to get in.

“Maybe we weren’t bold enough, maybe not streetwise enough. The challenge now is not to lose our quality players like we did at the beginning of this season,” he said in reference to the departure of the likes of Aubrey Ngoma, Mamadou Niang and Bongani Zungu.

“Most out losses this season were just 1-0, which shows we have been competitive.”