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Kadodia would like Tinkler to stay on after saving Maritzburg

Eric Tinkler celebrates during the NFD Promotion/Relegation Play-off match between Royal Eagles and Maritzburg United at Chatsworth Stadium on May 29, 2019 in Durban, South Africa.
Eric Tinkler celebrates during the NFD Promotion/Relegation Play-off match between Royal Eagles and Maritzburg United at Chatsworth Stadium on May 29, 2019 in Durban, South Africa.
Image: Anesh Debiky/Gallo Images

Maritzburg United chairman Farook Kadodia has thanked everyone associated with the club for the “huge sacrifice” they have made to ensure they survive relegation from the money-spinning Premier Soccer League (PSL) to the scary National First Division (NFD).

Kadodia’s team retained their PSL status on Wednesday via the much-maligned PSL relegation-promotion playoffs by winning all their first three of four matches.

The Team of Choice will now face Limpopo-based NFD side Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila at Harry Gwala Stadium on Saturday in a dead rubber.

Eric Tinkler’s beat Royal Eagles 1-0 at home‚ TTM 2-0 away and confirmed their stay in the PSL with a convincing 2-0 return leg victory against Eagles at the Chatsworth Stadium on Wednesday.

“I must say that the God Almighty has been with us‚” said Kadodia of their survival amid the scenes of jubilation after Wednesday’s match where Siphesihle Ndlovu and Thabiso Kutumela’s goals sealed their stay in the PSL.

“I must thank all the staff‚ the technical team and the players. It has been a huge sacrifice for everyone at the club.

“When you’re in this situation it is difficult. We were like dead three times in the season but we survived in the end.”

Kadodia said the club would like to see Tinkler continuing with his job at the club after joining them towards the end of the campaign with relegation staring at them.

“Of course Eric has got the best out of players. He’s done fantastically well in changing the mindset of the players‚” Kadodia said.

“There was some stage where we were at the bottom of the table and five points behind. And in the last game we came from position 16th to move to 15th. Three years ago we did the same.

“The thing is‚ we cannot carry on in this way. We have to find a solution to this problem and to make sure that whatever off the field issues we have they are not limiting the team and its progress. We have to deal with it.”

On the possibility of losing players‚ one of them being Ndlovu and utility midfielder Fortune Makaringe‚ Kadodia said there’s nothing confirmed yet with players who have been linked to other clubs.

“We have to go to the market because we will be losing a few of our players. One or two might leave us but yes we will need a bunch of players‚” the chairman said.

“We always give a coach a good say in picking his team. We are not like other clubs where they sign players and give to the coach.

“Obviously we will lose players but others will remain here. We will have to replace them [Ndlovu and Makaringe] if they leave with players of equal quality.

“There’s nothing confirmed yet about them leaving us.”

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