JDR Stars coach Nditsheni Nemasisi says the looming Fifa World Cup break will be benefit his team as it will allow them to get their captain, Sipho "Mayaka" Zitho, back for the second round of the Motsepe Foundation Championship.
Zitho will be put through his paces during the break during the friendlies the club has lined up. The influential captain has not featured in the National First Division this season and the club are hoping to use the mid-season break to get him into shape so he can be ready to help the team stake their claim for promotion in January.
“For us, I think it’s a blessing to have the break. Our captain, Mayaka Zitho, has not played a single game. He came back from injury not fit enough,” Nemasisi said
“So we’ll use the break to prepare such players and incorporate a couple of new guys that we are looking at. So this break comes at the right time for us,” he said.
Stars have been in steady form without their leader this season. They are in sixth place on the log with 15 points, three behind the playoffs slot. In their last five games, they have picked up eight points from a possible 15.
The team will look to keep their momentum and add more points on Friday when they host TTM at the Soshanguve Giant Stadium (3.30pm).
“It’s very important we continue to do well because we didn’t start well. Doing well in the Friday game will also alleviate a bit of pressure on us,” said Nemasisi.
“When you look at the top two teams, I think Hungry Lions and Polokwane City are a bit far from us but it’s still a manageable distance.
“So it’s important that we win our game against TTM. We have done well in the past two games at home. We have won all of them. We need to keep the home record intact.
"We are going to be very alert. We are dealing with a team with strong personnel and an experienced technical team. It won’t be an easy game but we’ll be equal for the task,” he said.
NFD fixtures (all times 3.30pm)
Friday: JDR Stars v TTM, Soshanguve Giant Stadium.
Saturday: Pretoria University v Platinum City Rovers,Tuks Stadium; Casric Stars v Hungry Lions, Solomon Mahlangu Stadium; Pretoria Caillies v All Stars, Lucas Masterpieces Moripe Stadium; Cape Town Spurs v Venda, Athlone Stadium.
Sunday: Baroka v Magesi, Baroka Village; Uthongathi v Black Leopards, Princess Magogo Stadium; Polokwane City v NB La Masia,Old Peter Mokaba Stadium.
JDR's Nemasisi hopes skipper to bounce back
Coach reckons friendlies will help Zitho return to match fitness
Image: Sydney Mahlangu/BackpagePix
JDR Stars coach Nditsheni Nemasisi says the looming Fifa World Cup break will be benefit his team as it will allow them to get their captain, Sipho "Mayaka" Zitho, back for the second round of the Motsepe Foundation Championship.
Zitho will be put through his paces during the break during the friendlies the club has lined up. The influential captain has not featured in the National First Division this season and the club are hoping to use the mid-season break to get him into shape so he can be ready to help the team stake their claim for promotion in January.
“For us, I think it’s a blessing to have the break. Our captain, Mayaka Zitho, has not played a single game. He came back from injury not fit enough,” Nemasisi said
“So we’ll use the break to prepare such players and incorporate a couple of new guys that we are looking at. So this break comes at the right time for us,” he said.
Stars have been in steady form without their leader this season. They are in sixth place on the log with 15 points, three behind the playoffs slot. In their last five games, they have picked up eight points from a possible 15.
The team will look to keep their momentum and add more points on Friday when they host TTM at the Soshanguve Giant Stadium (3.30pm).
“It’s very important we continue to do well because we didn’t start well. Doing well in the Friday game will also alleviate a bit of pressure on us,” said Nemasisi.
“When you look at the top two teams, I think Hungry Lions and Polokwane City are a bit far from us but it’s still a manageable distance.
“So it’s important that we win our game against TTM. We have done well in the past two games at home. We have won all of them. We need to keep the home record intact.
"We are going to be very alert. We are dealing with a team with strong personnel and an experienced technical team. It won’t be an easy game but we’ll be equal for the task,” he said.
NFD fixtures (all times 3.30pm)
Friday: JDR Stars v TTM, Soshanguve Giant Stadium.
Saturday: Pretoria University v Platinum City Rovers,Tuks Stadium; Casric Stars v Hungry Lions, Solomon Mahlangu Stadium; Pretoria Caillies v All Stars, Lucas Masterpieces Moripe Stadium; Cape Town Spurs v Venda, Athlone Stadium.
Sunday: Baroka v Magesi, Baroka Village; Uthongathi v Black Leopards, Princess Magogo Stadium; Polokwane City v NB La Masia,Old Peter Mokaba Stadium.
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