A bruising race is on for the finish line

There is no room for any more slip-ups from the top six teams of the Alexandra Northrand Local Football Association’s Promotional League as a bruising race is now on in the final stretch towards the finish line.

All the top six teams have a fair chance or should I say game as they race for the championship crown to gain automatic promotion to ply their trade in the next tier of the country’s beautiful game of football under the Hollywoodbets Johannesburg Men’s Regional League next season.

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The top six teams are led by a new jockey on the summit, Black Mask FC, with 52 points, followed closely by the long-standing but recently deposed summit leader United Stars with 51 points.
With seven games to the end of the 16-team league, other pretenders to the throne include Loyo Stars with 47 points, AmaSkills with 46, Alex Royal Tigers with 45 and Gauteng FC with 42.

Third-placed Loyo Stars coach Raymond Khuzwayo, who has an enthusiastic travelling group of supporters, said his boys had indicated they would love to be crowned champions and begin the arduous journey to the Premier Soccer League.
“One of the weaknesses of our side is in defence and I have noticed we conceded a lot of unnecessary goals, hence I would like to plug that hole as we race to the finish line. I want to beef up the defence with more experienced players and throw in one or two forwards to chase the goals,” Khuzwayo said.

Alex Royal Tigers SC coach Thabang Radebe said he was engraving a competitive mentality and self-reliance on the boys. “We want to refrain from placing our fate on anyone’s hands but our own.
“This is a crucial stage of the league with many lessons to learn to prepare ourselves for the next season better if we do not win the championship this time around,” Radebe said.

AmaSkills FC chairperson cum-coach Nhlanhla Mavuso said with six games to go, his boys will not take anything to chance and for granted. “We want to be on high alert and ensure we continue to win games and climb up the log. We can only do this by working harder at training and also delivering on match days,” Mavuso added.

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United Stars’ coach Sakhile Zulu believes the easing of pressure on his side since they were toppled from the league has helped. “Since we were deposed from the top, the eyes have shifted a bit from us which makes it better in terms of pressure.

“This also augurs well for our preparations for an onslaught, and I have even roped in motivational speakers and psychologists to work on the players’ mindset to ensure they are ready for what lies ahead.”
Zulu said from what he noticed in the last game against Western Boys FC, “I sensed that the boys have recovered from the shock of being toppled and the consecutive losses they suffered and showed they have not forgotten their goal of winning the league, which is still in their nimble feet.”

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