It was always going to be a tall order for Silver Spurs to challenge for honours in this season’s Hollywoodbets Third Division campaign following the exit of experienced and key players.
The departures of Rabian Beukes (Santos) and Ameen Awaldien (Hanover Park FC) – who went on to all play on a higher level – crippled Spurs severely and the club’s hierarchy is all too aware of this.
Spurs also did themselves few favours when they appointed co-coaches in Mario Tito (pictured) and Franklin Davies for the 2023/’24 season – a move that has not completely backfired, but did not have the desired effect – for obvious reasons.
One wonders what Tito and Davies’ predecessor Cheslyn ‘Giggs’ Tajoodien, who guided Spurs to a runners-up position in his first stint as head coach, is thinking of his former club’s topsy-turvy season.
That said, the Silvertown-based outfit remains optimistic that they can still finish in the top five this season. Spurs (43 points) currently occupy the sixth position on the log, five behind Matroosfontein FC with seven matches remaining.
Tito emphasized that despite the challenges thrown their way thus far, they have been resilient and brave in their approach.
“The boys are playing with a lot of heart and that is all a coach can ask for,” said Tito. “I preached to them that anything can still happen and therefore they should never give up. I mean if you look at the top five then it is not always happy days up there, so the goal for us is a top five. The gap between sixth and second place is six points, so who knows,” Tito added.
According to Tito there has been some positives they will be able to build on in the hope of winning the league title which has eluded them for more than two decades now.
“We have unearthed some great talent this season which has always been our thing to give players that opportunity and platform and our top goal scorer (Rushin Abrahams) is an example of this,” Tito concluded.
Abrahams has extended his goal scoring tally to 27 goals when he chipped in with one while Nizaam Miller also got his name on the scoreboard during their 5-2 thrashing of relegation-threatened FC Hout Bay at the Johnson Road Sports Complex on Tuesday evening.
Abrahams has definitely been the shining light for Spurs this season and it is safe to say if it wasn’t for his goals, they could easily have been competing with Hout Bay and Woodlands United for the wooden spoon.
