Coaches always take the blame when their teams are not performing according to management and supporters’ expectations. So it is only fair to give praise where it is due.
Bloemfontein Celtic and Santos are doing well and their coaches, management and players alike deserve credit. The two teams — sitting on position five and six on the Absa Premiership log table — are just a few points away from the top behind heavyweights like Pirates, Sundowns, Chiefs and Ajax. Things are looking good for them.
The good thing about Celtics and Santos exploits this season is that they are doing well without any “big names” in their teams. The two teams are full of hard-working and young players who are proving that success in football doesn’t depend on how many “stars” you have in your team. They work for each other and they have shown no respect for the big boys, matching them pound for pound.
What Boebie Solomons and Clinton Larsen have done for their teams is a good advert for local coaches and it should act as a wake-up call to club bosses, they have to show some faith in local coaches. Given time and support, local coaches can do wonders. Look at what the likes of Gavin Hunt and Gordon Igesund have achieved.
There is still a long way to go before the finish line and it’s hard to predict what is going to happen in the next few matches. But Siwelele and The People’s Team have definitely put themselves firmly in the title race and anything is possible. They just need to guard against complacency and the unnecessary dropping of points in crucial games and the sky will be the limit for them.
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