Andre Arendse addresses SuperSport sale rumours

SuperSport United interim coach Andre Arendse has broken his silence on the rumours of the club’s possible sale, admitting it has had an effect on his squad. 

The comments came after Matsatsantsa a Pitori retained their Betway Premiership status with a 1-1 draw against Golden Arrows on Thursday afternoon. 

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The fixture was replayed three months after being abandoned due to a power failure. It resumed with just 45 minutes of the second half remaining.

Despite the unusual circumstances, the draw was enough to keep SuperSport in the Premiership.

The result sees United finish 14th on the log after collecting 27 points from a revised 28-game season. Cape Town City also ended on 27 points, but Arendse’s men edged them out on goal difference.

City will now enter the PSL relegation play-off mini-league alongside Motsepe Foundation Championship sides ORBIT College and Casric Stars, who finished second and third respectively. Speaking after the Arrows match, Arendse acknowledged that ongoing speculation surrounding the club’s future unsettled the dressing room.

“The only thing I can tell you and this is a genuine answer. Those are things that are completely out of my hands and the team,” he said. 

“Those are boardroom issues but did it have a negative impact on the team when it broke? Yes, of course. That is natural, you have people thinking about their futures, families, livelihoods and it’s something that will weigh a little bit heavy on you. 

“My job was to try and take that pressure and stress off the players in these last set of games that we had to get through and let them be free to play. I did that as best as I could but those things do weigh heavy. 

“The board has not talked to me and said anything. We will continue as if we’re a football club that still exists for now. Until those issues are confirmed one way or another, any answer I give you is speculation. To answer your question, you know just as much as I do.”

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Reflecting on the season, Arendse was candid about United’s struggles. The club managed just six wins, alongside 13 losses and nine draws. Their lack of firepower was evident, netting only 18 goals while conceding 30.

“It has been a very up and down season. It has been a weird season because a lot of clubs will tell you that we played one game and had to wait another month for a game, Arendse concluded. 

“We had breaks and we also waited for other games to be played. It has been a very tight programme and all of a sudden you are not picking up results for whatever the case may be. 

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“I will sit down and do a complete report about the entire season and think about where it could have gone wrong, when it could have been right and where we need to fix things if we are to come out of this situation as a club.”