Maduka sure he’ll stay on at Maritzburg

Despite having gone five league games without a win, Maritzburg United coach John Maduka doesn’t think they are in a dire situation. 

The Team of Choice’s last win was when they beat Orlando Pirates 1-0 at home early in September. The big win over the Buccaneers was followed by three defeats and two draws, the latest being a 0-5 humiliation at the hands of Mamelodi Sundowns.

While many believe Maduka is at risk of losing his job, the former Bloemfontein Celtic coach has sounded confident to stay put, saying they haven’t really done badly. Maritzburg face KZN rivals Golden Arrows at home tomorrow (7.30pm).

“It’s not all lost because as much as we are building the team, we have been getting points. It’s not like we are in a bad, bad situation. As a coach, the pressure will always be there but we take one game at a time and are looking forward to the coming game,” Maduka said.

“I don’t know if my job is still safe. You must remember that we are trying to build a new team. You can see the players that we have introduced, most of them are new in the PSL. So, when you are building a new team you’ll have challenges along the way... it’s part of building the team and it’s part of growth.”

As unclear as it is whether he will be retained amid this slump, Maduka is already planning for the January transfer window, saying they need a striker or two. The Team of Choice mentor’s view is that they drew some of the games because they lack a lethal striker. 

“It’s very important for us to get a few players in January. The area that we think we must bolster is upfront because when you look at some of the games we drew, we were not clinical enough. So, we need one or two new strikers who will be able to help us score goals. The games we drew are the games I think we should have won,” Maduka explained.