JDR Stars owner-coach Nditsheni Nemasisi, who’s the longest-serving coach in the division, thinks they’ve overstayed their welcome in the second-tier, gunning for promotion once again in what’s their fourth season in the Motsepe Foundation Championship (MFC).
JDR have always been among the promotion chasers since they arrived in the MFC in the 2019/20 season. Nemasisi’s boys have never finished outside the top seven. The Hammer Boys were promoted from the ABC Motsepe League in the 2018/19 term and Nemasisi has been the side’s mentor since.
“We’ve always aimed for automatic promotion and nothing has changed even this season. I feel we’ve overstayed our welcome in this league. We honestly have to make it to the top now this season, we don’t have a choice,” Nemasisi told Sowetan yesterday.
The JDR mentor also shared what he has learnt over the past four seasons in their promotion chase, saying he now fully understands the do’s and don’ts when you challenge for promotion. Nemasisi also banks on the fact that he has retained the core of his team from last season.
“What I have picked up over the years is that this is a league that requires you to be consistent if you are to win promotion... be level-headed in approaching your games. It’s not always how you start that’s important but finishing strongly is so, so crucial,” Nemasisi said.
“We need to take care of our second round more because I know in the first round we won’t have a problem in making sure that we are among the chasing pack. Having been around, I think I now sort of understand what it takes to win promotion. We’ve kept the core of our squad from last season and that gives me hope that we can do it.”
JDR are the only team yet to concede in the MFC thus far. They have picked up two draws and one win from their three opening games.
How JDR finished in the last four seasons
2019/20: 7th (43 points)
2020/21: 6th (44 points)
2021/22: 4th (45 points)
2022/23: 4th (48 points)
NFD Results
Lions 1-1 Upington; Milford 0-1 AmaTuks; Orbit 2-0 Leopards; JDR 1-0 Baroka; La Masia 0-1 Magesi; Rovers 0-0 Marumo; Maritzburg 2-0 Casric
JDR believe they can take promotion bid a notch up
After seven years in NFD, owner-coach Nemasisi aims higher
Image: BackpagePix Staff/Samuel Shivambu
JDR Stars owner-coach Nditsheni Nemasisi, who’s the longest-serving coach in the division, thinks they’ve overstayed their welcome in the second-tier, gunning for promotion once again in what’s their fourth season in the Motsepe Foundation Championship (MFC).
JDR have always been among the promotion chasers since they arrived in the MFC in the 2019/20 season. Nemasisi’s boys have never finished outside the top seven. The Hammer Boys were promoted from the ABC Motsepe League in the 2018/19 term and Nemasisi has been the side’s mentor since.
“We’ve always aimed for automatic promotion and nothing has changed even this season. I feel we’ve overstayed our welcome in this league. We honestly have to make it to the top now this season, we don’t have a choice,” Nemasisi told Sowetan yesterday.
The JDR mentor also shared what he has learnt over the past four seasons in their promotion chase, saying he now fully understands the do’s and don’ts when you challenge for promotion. Nemasisi also banks on the fact that he has retained the core of his team from last season.
“What I have picked up over the years is that this is a league that requires you to be consistent if you are to win promotion... be level-headed in approaching your games. It’s not always how you start that’s important but finishing strongly is so, so crucial,” Nemasisi said.
“We need to take care of our second round more because I know in the first round we won’t have a problem in making sure that we are among the chasing pack. Having been around, I think I now sort of understand what it takes to win promotion. We’ve kept the core of our squad from last season and that gives me hope that we can do it.”
JDR are the only team yet to concede in the MFC thus far. They have picked up two draws and one win from their three opening games.
How JDR finished in the last four seasons
2019/20: 7th (43 points)
2020/21: 6th (44 points)
2021/22: 4th (45 points)
2022/23: 4th (48 points)
NFD Results
Lions 1-1 Upington; Milford 0-1 AmaTuks; Orbit 2-0 Leopards; JDR 1-0 Baroka; La Masia 0-1 Magesi; Rovers 0-0 Marumo; Maritzburg 2-0 Casric
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