Kruger aim to emulate Chippa by claiming NFD crown at first go

Two wins in succession fill Nonyane with hope

Sihle Ndebele Sports journalist
Kutlwano Mzimela of Leruma United and Lehlohonolo Nonyane of Kruger United during the Motsepe Foundation Championship match between Leruma United and Kruger United at Lucas Masterpieces Moripe Stadium on November 03, 2024 in Pretoria, South Africa.
Kutlwano Mzimela of Leruma United and Lehlohonolo Nonyane of Kruger United during the Motsepe Foundation Championship match between Leruma United and Kruger United at Lucas Masterpieces Moripe Stadium on November 03, 2024 in Pretoria, South Africa.
Image: Lefty Shivambu

Kruger United skipper Lehlohonolo Nonyane sees no reason the Mpumalanga outfit can't win promotion to the Premiership in their first season in the second tier, aiming to emulate Chippa United as he also quoted bible verse, Ecclesiastes 1:9.

Having had a slow start to the Motsepe Foundation Championship (MFC), where they won just one of their first five games with two defeats and two draws, newbies Kruger seem to have finally found their feet after registering two back-to-back wins versus Cape Town Spurs and Leruma United.

Nonyane fancies their promotion chances this season, their maiden in the MFC, asking if Chippa managed to do it, why not them? Chippa were promoted to the Premiership in what was their first season in the second tier back in the 2013/14 campaign.

We started slow but I think now we're gaining momentum. The team is starting to gel now. We have a squad to win promotion, I believe. In life anything is possible. I think the mixture of experienced guys and youngsters in the team is good as well
Kruger United skipper Lehlohonolo Nonyane

“We started slow but I think now we're gaining momentum. The team is starting to gel now. We have a squad to win promotion, I believe. In life anything is possible. I think the mixture of experienced guys and youngsters in the team is good as well,'' Nonyane said.

“There's a verse in the bible; Ecclesiastes one, verse nine, it says, 'What has happened before will happen again. What has been done before will be done again. There is nothing new in the whole world'. To cut the story short, Chippa have done it before, so why must we think we can't do it? It's possible.”

Even so, the former Bidvest Wits and Marumo Gallants centre-back insisted they won't be putting themselves under pressure. “We are not going to put ourselves under pressure. Yes, we know the league is a marathon that's winnable but that doesn't mean we must think far ahead. We will continue to focus on each game at a time,'' the Kruger captain stated.

Results

Leruma 1-4 Kruger; Spurs 1-2 Leopards; JDR 1-0 Callies; Upington 2-2 Casric; Baroka 2-3 Milford; Venda 0-2 Orbit; Durban 0-1 AmaTuks; Highbury 1-0 Lions

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