By now it’s (again) public knowledge that the format and structure of the ABC Motsepe League Playoffs should be relooked.
It was again the former Santos and Amazulu goalkeeper Tshepo Motsoeneng that voiced his disgust at the amount of games played at the playoffs in Upington over a short period of time without a proper recuperation period leading to very lethargic performances.
Motsoeneng, the only coach with six appearances in the SA football third-tier national playoffs, sought to guide Njampela FC from KwaZulu-Natal at the playoffs to promotion to the Motsepe Foundation Championship attempting to finally fulfill his long-life ambition.
It is especially his former Santos teammate Arreshaat Daniels who has made peace with the way things are done adding that it is the powers that be who prefer the playoff structure in this way and that there is nothing he can do about this issue.
“Whoever is going to get promoted will have to follow that rule and there are unfortunately no shortcuts,” Daniels told No Bones with Jones. “You will have to do it the hard way.”
Daniels has been in the game long enough – as a former player and now coach – to know that it’s only through adversity that valuable lessons are learnt.
The former pro player reflected on what could have been and has now finally opened up on their shortcomings following their return to Cape Town on Saturday.
Daniels was honest and brave enough when he confirmed that the playoffs are ” really difficult”.
Rangers convincingly beat Mpheni Home defenders by 4-1 but lost by 1-2 to Njampela in their second match which automatically eliminated the Cape based side.
“I would say one of the key things I gathered at the playoffs is that the squad rotation is very important,” Daniels further stated. “My experience is that I should have taken more consideration into how I rotated the squad.
“If I had done that then I think there would sure have been a different outcome. That’s the best you can do as there is no way any footballer can play three games in a row at the highest level – or even two games in a row with that intensity,” he added.
Daniels emphasized that he has no doubt that his players would have grown and will mature and recover from this set-up as it is part of the journey.
That said Saatjie, as Daniels is known, is all too well aware that certain players have certain expectations to play at a higher level following their shortcomings and failure to become pro players.
“Look, I would love nothing more than to say that everybody is staying, and they now know what to expect. I think we might lose a few boys but for the rest, they are hungry for what lies ahead as they have gotten a taste and came so close. So, I would like to think they have some unfinished business for next season.
“That said, we also don’t know what to expect in our league for next season due to the many changes on the cards, you know. Is it going to become one stream then it becomes more difficult…. Is it going to be an added 8-league stream – whatever it becomes, that’s another story. For us now is just to sit back a little bit and rethink and strategize and go again,” Daniels concluded.
Highbury FC and Kruger both won promotion to the Motsepe Championship as the winner and runner-up respectively.
