Blue Birds Ladies coach Malvin Khumalo targets 50 points to save season
A late setback against Emmarentia Pirates has left the Alexandra side needing a total mind reset to finish their campaign on a high.
Blue Birds Ladies Football Academy coach Malvin Khumalo has set himself the task of strengthening his players’ confidence before the season slips away.
The team sat comfortably in the top five for most of the campaign, but were overtaken by University of Johannesburg, who had climbed to fourth by October 1. Blue Birds now occupy sixth, a position Khumalo admits is risky if points are not collected soon.
Read more: Title race pressure catches Blue Birds
He believes the slide began when the players realised they were losing their grip on the race for promotion. “The players had the bigger goal of finishing on top of the log in mind and getting promotion, and when that does not happen, the confidence goes down,” he said.
The sixth-placed Blue Birds still have three games in hand and nine points to play for. Mathematically, the hope of climbing back up the table is not dead, provided they win all of their remaining matches, and fifth-placed Hallelujah Zebra Force loses at least two of their remaining fixtures.
Khumalo has set a target of 50 points, with the team currently on 43. “These last three games are not easy for us. We are aiming to get to 50 points. With nine points to play for, we will try to reach 50 at least. That is a benchmark we can compete against next season, to say we have got to do better than that.”
Also read: Blue Birds rises from the ashes
The challenge was underlined on September 24, when Blue Birds drew with Emmarentia Pirates at the Alex Safe Hub. They had held a 1–0 lead for most of the match, only to concede a very late own goal.
The two sides meet again, this time at Pirates’ home ground on October 10, and Khumalo expects a tougher contest. “We need to go and do something different. If we couldn’t get three points at home, then, at their home ground, they will be more confident and will try to frustrate us,” he said.
Despite the setback in the promotion race, he insists there is plenty to play for. A fourth or fifth-place finish, he said, would set the standard for next season. “What we need now is internal motivation, where we are motivated by excellence. Once we switch on that inner motivation, I think the players can do well.”
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