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Igesund confident highlands can survive

New Highlands Park coach Gordon Igesund. Picture credits: Gallo Images
New Highlands Park coach Gordon Igesund. Picture credits: Gallo Images

New Highlands Park coach Gordon Igesund has stated that he doesn't need "superstars" to keep the team in the top flight.

The PSL newcomers are struggling in 13th place with four points after five matches despite having experienced players such as Collins Mbesuma, Thanduyise Khuboni and Eddie Ngalo.

Igesund, who has replaced Allan Freese, said yesterday he was confident his new club were good enough to retain their PSL status by the end of the season.

"I have always said that give me a group of players that want to work hard. I don't need to have superstars and all the fancy players. I believe I've got hard workers at Highlands Park from what I have seen in their play," said Igesund, who starred for Highlands Park in the late 70s during his playing days before moving to Austria.

The ex-Bafana Bafana coach was heavily linked with the Zambia national team head coach position and took the time to clarify why the move didn't materialise.

"As far as Zambia are concerned, as you all know I went for an interview [in June] and they had said they would let me know in two weeks' time. They told me I was their choice and even told me to take myself out of the market to make sure that I was going to be their coach. So, in principle, we agreed on the conditions but they did tell me that in Zambia the association doesn't pay the salaries of coaches, but it is done by the government," he explained.

"[In the end] the president of the country [Edgar] Lungu didn't sign the contract saying that he wanted a local coach," Igesund added.

The four-time PSL champion will retain Thierry Mulonzo as his assistant and will not make any changes to the current technical team.

One of the club's directors Larry Brookstone believes Igesund is the right man for the job.

"I have no doubt that he is the correct person to take our club to where we need to get to," Brookstone added.

According to another club director Sinky Mnisi, the short-term goal is to keep their PSL status.

Igesund's first assignment will be against Chippa United in the last 16 of the Telkom Knockout at Makhulong Stadium on Friday (8.15pm).

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