As serious and focused as Rygersdal FC head coach Curtley Daniels often appears, the young mentor recently showed off his lighter side when discussing one of the club’s newest additions.
The 28-year-old former Ashford Athletic coach, who began his Rygersdal tenure with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over JL Zwane two weeks ago, jokingly admitted he had adopted a “cloak and dagger” approach before officially revealing the signing of Island Rovers captain Adeeb Triegaardt.
The 29-year-old Triegaardt captained Rovers to a league and cup double in the Northerns Suburbs LFA recently, although the side ultimately fell short in their quest for promotion at the SAFA Cape Town Third Division Play-Offs.
“Yes, he has been here since pre-season,” Daniels told No Bones with Jones. “I needed to surprise the opponents,” he laughed.”On a serious note, he just needed to finish his commitments to Island Rovers first.
“Obviously, being the good character and player that he is, he wanted to help Island Rovers in their pursuit of promotion. But look, it’s not just about Adeeb but the squad we assembled and the bigger picture, you know. All the players we roped in know they have a role to play.”
The former Junction Rovers skipper’s arrival represents a significant boost for a Rygersdal side looking to establish itself among the frontrunners this season, and Daniels could not hide his satisfaction with both the signing and the squad assembled ahead of the new campaign.
“So, yes, I’m very, very happy with Adeeb and the entire squad we’ve assembled,” he said. “The players are in a good environment, working hard and constantly wanting to improve. It’s just a nice group of players who are happy to be playing the sport they love together and there is a very good spirit amongst the players,” Daniels concluded.
Rygersdal will look to build on their winning start when they travel to Ikamva to face Cape Town Spurs. With momentum on their side and a strengthened defence marshalled by the experienced Triegaardt, Daniels will be hoping his charges can make it two wins from two and lay down an early marker in what promises to be a fiercely competitive campaign.
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