Michaelson Ntokozo Gumede

By Ntokozo Gumede

Journalist


Bruised SuperSport out for redemption against Chiefs, says Arendse post Tembo era

'Everybody is in tune and knows what to do', says the interim coach.


SuperSport United are still licking their wounds from the 3-2 loss at the hands of Tshakhuma, who knocked them out of the Nedbank Cup about a week ago.

It was the maiden time that Matsatsantsa A Pitori were eliminated by a side from a lower division and this ultimately cost Kaitano Tembo his job as he was dismissed earlier this week.

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Andre Arendse, who is the interim coach until the end of the season, says the team has taken some lessons from the Tshakhuma game and will look to ring changes when they take on Kaizer Chiefs in the DStv Premiership this Saturday.

“The loss was very difficult to take but there are a lot of learning points from that game, for example, how to defend our leads and manage game moments,” said Arendse.

“Those are critical and we did not get those right and we’ve got to look at ourselves. The players have acknowledged that throughout the week.

“We have set-up training sessions to help fix that and how to take these factors into a big game against Chiefs. It is not just against Chiefs but every game coming up will be big for us.

“The most important thing that stood out in our training sessions leading up to this game is the vibe. Everybody is in tune and knows what to do.

“What that shows me is that people are putting their hands up for starting positions and that is very good because every coach will tell you that it is a wonderful nightmare to have when you have plenty of options to select from,” he added.

Arendse went on to state that his team does not need any motivation playing against Stuart Baxter’s side as they are gunning for a top two finish in the league, chasing Royal AM, who are four points ahead of Amakhosi.

Meanwhile, The Spartans will look to consolidate a top eight position.

“There is no motivation for a game like this. They have not played for so long and you can hope that there is a bit of rustiness there but at the same time it has given them a perfect opportunity to rest players and plan for the game in a proper manner.

“It is difficult in whichever way you look at it. The other factor is the fans and when you play Chiefs you expect them to fill up according to the Covid-19 regulations,” said Arendse.

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