Michaelson Ntokozo Gumede

By Ntokozo Gumede

Journalist


Furman ready to fight for his spot

The assumption around club captains is that they are almost guaranteed a place in the starting line-up and they sort of become the paper that head coaches write their team on. 


Well, Dean Furman is debunking that perception, suggesting that he, like everybody else at SuperSport United have to, has to fight for his place.
This comes after the Matsatsantsa A Pitori skipper was given some time off to recuperate after starring for Bafana Bafana in the Africa Cup of Nations last month and it remains to be seen if he will be selected when United take on Mamelodi Sundowns in the Absa Premiership opener in the capital city.
Furman began training earlier this week and he admits that he discovered that his teammates – particularly the likes of Jamie Webber, Teboho Mokoena and Sipho Mbule who are his direct rivals for a place at the heart of Kaitano Tembo’s midfield – have been training at a very high level.
“It is always great to represent your national team in a major tournament and be relatively successful. It can only give you confidence because it is nice to test yourself against the big stars and the top players in the world that were at the Afcon,” he said, as he was arguably among the best Bafana performers in the Afcon.
“SuperSport is my home and to come back here and see the players, the coach, and the staff is always nice to be at a familiar place. The boys are at a very high level and it is nice to see how good they are looking like. I have not been there and the boys are pushing hard and there is no easy way in,” said Furman.
He adds: “I have been watching them and I have seen how good they are and I have been fighting for my place now and that is how it should be. I shouldn’t be able to walk into any team. It might sound funny but that is the truth. The boys are playing at a very high level and I have never once in my career taken my position for granted. I feel like there will be a fight with the guys who are playing in my position.”

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Dean Furman SuperSport United F.C.