They were established two seasons ago as a modest Sunday League outfit to provide an outlet for youngsters with no real expectations and objectives other than playing rebel football.
However, fast forward a season and the new kid on the block, Hout Bay Athletic, were crowned league winners at the Goodhope LFA in Hout Bay. This left their rivals in awe and disbelief!
This is the crazy and short journey of one of the newcomers to Safa Cape Town’s amateur structures. Athletic is flexing its muscles and showing that it is a team on a mission.
This club of Luyanda Landu, who wears many hats at the club, such as Director of Football, as well as the Head Coach, will now represent its LFA at the Third Division playoffs, which start on Saturday, 25 October at the Rooikrans Sports Complex in Grassy Park, as well as The Greens in Manenberg.
Landa, along with the rest of the executive, which includes Unashco Uys (chairman), Chad Frechas (Vice-Chairman), and manager Sergio Carolus, has surprised friend and foe by navigating the stormy waters of LFA football in the coastal region.
“When the club started, we didn’t have many expectations as we were all new to this,” Landu opened up to No Bones with Jones. “But when we started this season, the goal was clear and that was to get into the top 8, but after winning five on the trot, we started to believe we could go all the way, so we set new expectations for ourselves and that was to win another five. After that, we raised the bar once again and that was to win it, and we did,” he added.
Landu was the first to point out that they are entering uncharted territory and shouldn’t get ahead of themselves.
“Look, we don’t take anything for granted; it’s something new to us, but even so, we are putting in the work. In fact, we started preparing three weeks ago, and that was two games before our league ended. One thing I’ve learnt is, when you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail.
“Look, there is no small or weak team in the playoffs and looking at our group, every team there is strong and capable of going to the knockouts. But the most important game for us is the first one against FC Porto, which could give us the momentum we need.
“Thereafter, we can plan for the next two games and this is to ask everyone in Hout Bay to come out and support the boys. With all the backing, I think the boys can come out mentally strong,” Landu concluded.
