JDR coach puts faith in his 'best team ever'

JDR Stars coach Nditsheni Nemasisi believes that the current crop of players is the best they have had since getting promotion to the NFD. 

In their fourth season in the second tier of South African football, commercially known as the Motsepe Foundation Championship, JDR are looking like a team that will be in contention for promotion. The balance they have in the team is what’s giving Nemasisi confidence that this is the best side they have had.

In their ranks, they have the likes of  Seun Ledwaba, Prince Nxumalo and Ishmael Wadi, who has scored six goals in the league, and plenty of other exciting young players. 

“We have a very strong balance of senior players and the youth, we have the best team since we have been in this league. Experience-wise and talent-wise, I think we are having the best team,” said Nemasisi when speaking to the Sowetan. 

JDR are in fourth place with 24 points after 14 games.  The second part of the season is key for the team’s aspirations for promotion. To make sure they don’t miss out on a playoff place like last season, Nemasisi said they had to deal with the pressure that came with challenging for promotion.

“We need to prepare the team psychologically to be able to deal with the pressure that will come in the second round of the competition, it won’t be easy. It needs soldiers, and very strong players, we’ll keep working on that. The talent is there, and we need to manage the psychological side of it,” Nemasisi said. 

The Pretoria side will face TTM on Sunday at the Thohoyandu Stadium (3.30pm). Nemasisi said they would treat TTM as a formidable side. 

“It’s always difficult to play TTM because they don’t want to lose to JDR. We are treating TTM as a formidable side because they do have the players,” he said. 

“Consistency in the league is very important. We want to keep winning. We understand that we are playing a difficult opponent even though they are not winning. We are away, and it won’t be easy,” said the JDR mentor. 

NFD Fixtures (all times 3.30pm): 

Tomorrow: NB La Masia v All Stars, Bidvest Stadium; Pretoria University v Pretoria Caillies, ABSA Tuks Stadium; Black Leopards v Uthongathi, Malamulele Stadium; Hungry Lions v Casric Stars, Windhoek Draught Park Stadium; Baroka v Polokwane City, Baroka Village.

Sunday: Cape Town Spurs v Magesi, Athlone Stadium; Platinum City Rovers v Venda, Olen Park; TTM v JDR Stars, Thohoyandou Stadium.