FBS prepared for the new season
They have laid the ground for the 2023/2024 SAB league following their 2 - 1 victory against newcomers Hot Spurs during the preseason games.
Experience and fitness came into play at the preseason games as seasonal SAB League campaigners FBS punished the newly promoted Hot Spurs with a 2-1 victory at Vosloorus Stadium on September 17.
The exercises form a part of affording the coaches time to access and test the team’s working combinations, weaknesses and strengths ahead of the SAB League kick-off.
Spurs started chasing the game in the first half after Sibusiso Makhubo scored the opening goal for FBS in the early minutes of the first half.
The debut league campaigners levelled the score line after the half-time team talks. Wandile Maduza scored the only goal for the Spurs.
Linda Sithole shortly increased the lead for FBS, closing the game at 2-1.
FBS coach Palouse Nguli said they wasted many chances and failed to take advantage of a newly promoted team to the league.
“We should have used our chances more, based on the experience we gained in the league. We are seasonal campaigners. This is our third season in the SAB league.
He said that based on their performance; they are ready to kick-start the season because they have two squads.
“We are still preparing. We have not figured out our final starting team.”
Coach Simphiwe Zonko said coming into this game, their weakness was fitness and forced changes that affected the balance.
“We had to replace a defender and our goal scorer because of an injury in the early minutes of the first half. He is one of our best defenders, especially when dealing with areal balls, man-making and guiding the defence.
That affected our shape and balance and how we played. Going forward, we consider the goal from the position he came from,” said Zonko.
He said this could be a good game if they continued with their balanced squad. He said their main challenge was fixing the players’ fitness levels.
“The league they promoted us from was not as competitive. You find players relaxed when we are winning games consecutively. They do not see the need to push themselves because they win if they trained the whole week or not,” he said.
