Birds coach no quitter

Despite going winless in 15 games of the first round of the 2018 Sasol Women League, Bluebirds Ladies coach Malvin Khumalo has vowed not to throw in the towel.

“I may be on shaky ground at this point and time but I am no quitter,” he said.

Read: Do or die in Map Games semi

“I am not throwing in the towel as yet. I am determined to turn the fortunes of this team around. I have already seen some positives from our current participation in the Map Games as we have reached the semis. I hope we can go all the way and if we win it, that will be a morale booster for us which can also do the trick in our Sasol League games as well.”

The Birds mentor said he strongly believed the team had the potential to turn the corner. “We have a good squad which has shown some good performances. All we need is to maintain the momentum and keep improving on it.”

To prove his determination to bolster the squad with new blood from their development side, Khumalo also took the ‘Baby Bluebirds’ to the Map Games to give them a taste of the highly competitive tournament but, unfortunately, they bowed out in the quarter-finals.

“That alone was an achievement for the babies and I am quite confident they learnt a lot as we prepare them for the much bigger stage, and eventual promotion to the senior team.”

Read: Juventus marches on to the Map Games last 16

Although they appear to be staring relegation in the face, the Birds mentor believes it’s not all gloom and doom. “We’re working around the clock to turn our fortunes [around] for the better and I believe we shall survive [in the Sasol League]. We have to do it for the cause, to keep our township represented.”

The Birds are bottom of the league and only have two points from their 15 games which they earned from two draws, against UJ Ladies and Rosina Sedibane Modiba Sports School. “There is still another 15 more games to go and if we maximise the points in those, we shall be home and dry.”