Teboho Mokonyana
Maties soccer drew 2-2 against Strandfontein FC on Saturday in what was their first official friendly under new coach, Desmond Crowie.
When asked if he gained any positives from the game, Crowie said, “definitely, we only had one training session on Tuesday and we only worked on our shape of the team.
“Today was a good test to see if we can implement, firstly implementing our session into game situation and secondly to gauge the positional discipline of the players. So the exercise was very fruitful.”
The Maties soccer team is in the process of rebuilding its entire structure. Stellenbosch University (SU) made concerted efforts to build a formidable soccer team since last year after recruiting six players from various leagues in South Africa. One of the biggest attributes the team displayed is having a common goal.
“We are not playing in any leagues at the moment so we’ll still be playing friendlies and getting in to the USSA (University Sports South Africa) Championship this year in June,” said Courtney Williams, one of the recruits from last year’s initiative.
If the Maties win their group (Group B), they will be promoted to Group A which brings them a step closer to playing Varsity Cup qualifiers.
Although he did not reveal much, Crowie made it clear that the Maties have a training program guaranteed to get the best out of the players that will last up until the championships begin.
The team will be facing University of Fort Hare, North West University, and the University of Free State in their group stage matches.
Crowie has vowed to maintain a cool headed and pragmatic approach in identifying the right playing style for his team.
“I can’t be naïve about how I want the team to play, I need to look at the talent I have currently and I must be pragmatic where that’s concerned and see what I can instil in the players I currently have,” said Crowie.
With a clearly set plan and aims to get the most potential out of the players, the Maties soccer team will surely have all the required ingredients to make the most out of the USSA Championships in June.
