Unlike many coaches in the lower tiers who regard the Nedbank Cup as little more than a distraction, Ashford Athletic head coach Shane Petersen chose to embrace the prestigious competition with a far more ambitious mindset.
That positive approach paid rich dividends on Wednesday evening when Ashford Athletic defeated Wanderers FC 3-1 in the Nedbank Cup Regional Final at The Greens in Manenberg, handing Petersen one of the biggest achievements of his young coaching career.
The 33-year-old mentor, who proudly describes himself as a natural winner, revealed that lifting the trophy was always one of the team’s objectives from the outset.
“I told my technical team and team manager leading up to the Nedbank Cup that we should take this seriously and that I’d like us to win it and go further than the club did last year when they lost in the semi-finals,” Petersen told No Bones with Jones. “I believe there are a lot of positives that can come from this competition.
“For me, it gives you momentum early on and, if things work in your favour, it can put you in a good position heading into the league campaign. I told the players that we should take every game one step at a time, one hurdle at a time. Every match must be treated like a cup final and we must fight until the end. The players did exactly that and I’m immensely proud of them.”
The triumph continues the upward trajectory of an Ashford side that impressed during its debut campaign in the Third Division, finishing fourth and establishing itself as one of the division’s emerging forces.
While the celebrations will continue for now, Petersen is already turning his attention to the challenges that await when the league season gets underway with an opening game against Young Pirates on 24 October
“Look, we’ll enjoy this victory for now, but there is still a lot of hard work ahead,” he said. “The road will be bumpy and uncomfortable at times, but we’ll stick together and remain united as a team. We’ll have to be at our very best if we want to repeat and even improve on last season’s performances.”
