United Stars get their glow back
United Stars coach Sakhile Zulu constantly urges his charges to always dust themselves up after a fall and look forward to doing better in the next game.
Alexandra Northrand Local Football Association Promotional League’s table-topping United Stars bounced back to winning ways after a first upset by second-placed league chasers AmaSkills FC who beat the side 2-1 on March 16.
This was after the River Parked-based club had gone on an impressive and record-breaking winning streak of 14 games without a loss. They were beaten by AmaSkills in their 15th match, the last one before the opening of the second round of the league games of the 16-team league.
Stars bounced back in their second-round opener against Alex Arsenal City FC on the weekend of March 23/24 with a 3-2 win from a brace by Kgethego ‘Eazi’ Maila and the team’s perennial goal poacher Njabulo Shabalala.
But it remains to be seen whether they will maintain the momentum this coming weekend when they meet a struggling Akeric Football Institution at the Number 3 Square Grounds.
Asked what motivation he dished out to allow the side to bounce back to its winning ways, club president come coach Sakhile Zulu, famously known by his clan name of Mageba, said the motivational ‘muthi’ was so simple.
“I just told them in a football game, there is bound to be one of three elements, which are a win, draw and lose. Whichever happens on match day, you just have to ensure that if it’s bad, you stand up and dust yourselves and say it’s ok and it’s one of the three elements that are bound to happen.
“I kept telling them one day they are going to lose and that should it happen, they must take it to heart but take it on the chin and look forward to doing better in the next one. One day they will lose like any other team anywhere in the world, if that happens, they must take it easy and focus on the next match,” Zulu said.
Mageba said the most important approach is to have a goal of becoming champions this season, meaning that they don’t need motivation from anyone as it is their own goal that they are eyeing and becomes their self-motivator.
“But,” he said, “I always urge them to leave a little room for disappointment and be always ready to fight on again and again,” Zulu added. He said he hoped this would be the spirit they will take and use in the second round of the league games and hopefully emerge as the champions at the end.
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