Igesund to be tested

Former South African national football coach Gordon Igesund is now plying his trade at SuperSport. He will be put to the test when his new team faces Platinum Stars in the Absa Premiership football match at Lucas Moripe Stadium in Atteridgeville on Saturday evening.

Igesund will be guiding Matsatsantsa for the first time since his appointment last week. The 58-year-old, who signed a two year contract with the Pretoria outfit, told a media briefing last week he was prepared to take the club back to contention for the league. Igesund will have to dip into his vast experience in motivating his wounded young team. Matsatsantsa go into the encounter following three league match losses in a row.

They lost against Free State Stars, Mpumalanga Black Aces and Kaizer Chiefs. Igesund reported for duty at the club last week Thursday and his first game in charge against the North West outfits will be a real acid test.

However, the former Bafana Bafana mentor was upbeat about his new team’s prospects, saying they will recover and start winning games. He said he worked well with many players in the team and it would be easy for him to relate to them. “I have worked with twelve of the players and I’m looking forward to the same working relationship going forward. There is a lot of talented players and we just need to work together and bring positive results.”

Igesund who has won four-time league titles shared his feelings about the return to club football after a two-year stint with the national team. “I’m happy to be back and I want to work to the best of my ability and win trophies. All coaches want to win the championship. Whether the team is good or not that is a different story. I’m a professional coach and I know what is expected of me.”

Igesund will be reunited with Bennett Chenene and David Mathebula whose careers he helped revive while he was coaching Moroka Swallows.

SuperSport will be seeking their second win of the season while Stars will be aiming to climb the log standings. The game will kick off at 18:00, Saturday evening.

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