Vasco head coach Andrew Pequeno refused to be drawn into talks of the Parow-based team being favourites to win the Hollywoodbets Third Division title.
This, despite the fact that Vasco enjoys a six-point gap over its nearest rival, Cape Town City, with seven games to go.
Vasco showed its resilience at Fortress Parow Park on Tuesday when they refused to lie down and clawed their way back to force a 2-2 draw after being down 1-2 and prevent the young Citizens from closing the gap to three points.
Pequeno and his troops travel to Langa to face an unpredictable Wanderers FC side on Saturday and the former championship-winning coach emphasized that they are not getting ahead of themselves – insisting that all the teams in the top six should still be considered as favourites.
“Football will humble us all if you don’t respect the game and your opponents, especially in this league,” warned the Vasco mentor.
“This league is a marathon and experience in coaching and playing in this league I think has been vital for us. The league will go down to the wire and we are focusing on one game at a time,” he added.
The former Hanover Park FC coach has been in the game long enough and knows what is required for success. But there is no denying the fact that Vasco has been a cut above the rest, hence the team is setting the pace with only two defeats thus far (and 10 draws from 27 games). This is a remarkable stat given the cut-throat nature of this league.
When Pequeno was probed on what sets his team apart from the other 17 teams he explained: “I think the experience of my senior players, along with the ability and willingness to learn as well as the fantastic attributes of my under-21 players. Some of them will definitely play at a higher level and this season I feel is where they are gaining the belief and self-confidence.
