Goal50 United was dealt a major blow when their coach Thera Mini unexpectedly stepped down from his head coach position after just three matches in the Hollywoodbets Third Division – to the credit of the players and coaching staff no one sulked or were dismayed, instead they galvanised and stepped up with even greater aplomb.
Fast forward 10 games and the then assistant coach Lorenzo ‘Lloyd’ Schoeman (pictured), who is now calling the shots, was ‘forced’ to come out of his comfort zone and to step up as well to steady the ship.
Schoeman did more than just stabilize the team, he has probably surprised friend and foe, but not himself as he knew all too well about his abilities and capabilities as a young coach.Goal50 has since then been a revelation under the tutelage of Schoeman who is stamping their authority in this cut-throat and predictable league.
Schoeman pointed out that it is no fluke that the Heideveld-based outfit is solidly placed in the fourth position – three points off the log leader Cape Town City
“Many won’t know about our conversation we had and that was to give it a push this season,” Schoeman told No Bones with Jones. “We want to challenge and be close to the top five as we go into the second round. “Look, currently we are not focussed on the log as we can get carried away easily seeing that we are on a (six-game) unbeaten streak. You know complacency can very quickly set in and then the focus and intensity levels start to drop – so we are not focussing on our log position.
“But we are focussing on pushing for the league this season. The mood in the camp is very good and they all have smiles on their faces and are playing with enjoyment – that wasn’t the case early on in the season,” Schoeman added.
It is clear that Schoeman will leave no stone unturned in their quest to challenge for the league title. The 30-year-old Former Everton player revealed that he is keen on strengthening the squad before the transfer window closes on 14 February.
“We are looking to strengthen our defence and I am thinking of adding another center-back,” Schoeman explained. “I am also eyeing another midfielder but we would prefer it if the player is under-21 because we are currently sitting with 18 to 20 ‘overs’, you know.
“Our squad is about 30 players and it has mostly senior players hence we are looking for unders. So if we can bolster our defence and midfield with two ‘unders’, I will be satisfied,” Schoeman concluded.
Goal50 will expect to once again cash in on their hostile Heideveld home ground when they prepare for a double header this weekend against Camps Bay FC on Friday followed by a sterner contest against Crystal Palace three days later. Both matches kick off at 19:30.
