PRETORIA - The corridors at SuperSport United have been quiet, with every player, technical staff member and the bosses avoiding talk of them finally winning the Absa Premiership this season.
It’s been seven years since Matsatsantsa a Pitori were crowned Absa Premiership champions. The last time they won it (back in the 2009/10 season), marked their third successive title success. After that, the Tshwane side went through a dry spell.
Matsatsantsa became a shadow of themselves season-in and season-out, watching Kaizer Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns take turns in clinching the league trophy. Orlando Pirates had won it twice in a row before these two sides became the main attraction when it came to the domestic league race in the past four seasons.
SuperSport striker Jeremy Brockie reckons this could be the season to finally end the dry spell. However, he believes they need to produce more wins than draws in their
remaining 10 league matches, if they are to realise that goal.
Matsatsantsa host Baroka FC in a league encounter at Mbombela Stadium on Saturday (kick-off 3pm). A win or a draw would see them surpass Kaizer Chiefs’ 19 league games unbeaten run from the 2014/15 season.
“The reason everybody at the club has been quiet, avoiding to talk about the possibility of winning the league this season is because no one wants to jinx it,” Brockie said.
“We’ve been avoiding such talk, though we’ve been consistently avoiding defeat in the league.
“It is only now that coach (Stuart Baxter) began talking about us needing to win all our remaining matches if we are to stand a chance of winning the title.
“And we all agreed. Everybody understands what's at stake. And I believe we can do it.”
Brockie, who scored the opener in their 2-0 victory that ended Amakhosi’s unbeaten run three seasons ago, said he hopes to be on the score-sheet tomorrow, as Matsatsantsa
aspire to make history in the domestic league race.
Matsatsantsa have gone 19 league games unbeaten in their campaign this season and the 29-year-old striker said it would be a dream come true, if they were to achieve the feat.
“As a kid growing up in New Zealand, I never wanted to play any other sport but football. And yet it was never easy,” Brockie said.
“There were a whole lot of people, including the media, who discouraged the idea of the sport being played in the country.
“And that’s because New Zealanders are a rugby-loving nation.
“I tried playing the sport (rugby), but it was never meant for me. It’s the tackling that got me out of it.
“I just couldn’t take it,” Brockie chuckles.
“Scoring tomorrow would be truly special.”
He added: “Coming to South Africa was the best
decision I made to further my
career.
“It presented me with an opportunity to achieve things and live the dream.
“The Nedbank Cup last season was the first trophy of my professional career. And now we stand a good chance of
being crowned PSL champions. Things are looking up. It can only get better.”
The New Zealand international warns that Baroka will prove to be a difficult side to beat, should Matsatsantsa go into this encounter with the attitude that it would be a walk in the park.
Baroka are bottom of the PSL standings with 15 points from 21 games, while SuperSport are in third place with 37 points, two points behind table-toppers Cape Town City.
“I watched them against Chiefs and they are determined not to go down without a fight,” Brockie said.
“That equaliser (through Mxolisi Kunene) was just pure class.
“They are hoping to rescue their season by moving away from the relegation zone.
“It’ll be an interesting match.
“Fortunately though, the team don’t rely solely on me to score goals. We’ve got players like Thabo Mnyamane who can do the job as well. It also makes my job a whole lot easier.”