By Siyabonga Mahlaba
Kinnah Phiri has taken a team accustomed to the tag of being a yo-yo club and made them one of the most exciting clubs in the country.
The Malawi-born coach has done a splendid job in transforming Free State Stars into an obdurate lot from previously being strugglers each time they return to the Premiership.
Things have been different at Ea Lla Koto this term as the team boasts some vibrancy, fighting spirit and a recognised finisher in Diyo Sibisi, who has scored six goals in eight league outings.
Add to that the return to form of captain Duncan Lechesa, the talent of midfielder Prince Olomu from Nigeria and the acquisition of experienced defenders James Matola and Kampamba Chintu.
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Not only have Stars performed quite admirably in the league but they are also among the four teams that will play in the Telkom Knockout semifinals this weekend, a rare feat for a newly promoted team.
"The players are responding well to my training methods," Phiri says modestly. "They grasp instructions quickly and that has often given us the edge this season."
Phiri admits that he's no softy.
"I'm very strict during training and the players know that," he says. "We're not doing anything special but the players are just working hard and they are not under pressure."
But how does he get Stars to be so motivated this season?
"I'm the one who's motivated by their efforts and results on the field," says the 53-year-old coach.
Many people may believe that the rookies from Bethlehem will not progress past this weekend in the Telkom Knockout, but try telling that to Phiri.
"Of course, people didn't expect us to still be around, but it's good to be underdogs. We were underestimated in the previous rounds and look where we are now - just one game away from playing in the final and I believe we'll pull off another shock victory on Sunday."
Surely that's just too much from Stars, who face a buoyed Mamelodi Sundowns in the second semi-final in Kimberley on Sunday (Chiefs play Celtic in the first).
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