Win lifts pressure off Igesund

A spirited SuperSport United demonstrated, in no uncertain terms, that they are fully behind head coach Gordon Igesund. Ryan Wilkisky/BackpagePix

A spirited SuperSport United demonstrated, in no uncertain terms, that they are fully behind head coach Gordon Igesund. Ryan Wilkisky/BackpagePix

Published Nov 23, 2015

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A spirited SuperSport United demonstrated, in no uncertain terms, that they are fully behind head coach Gordon Igesund.

There have been recent suggestions that Igesund’s job at the Pretoria club is on the line, that he’s lost the dressing-room, and even rumours that Stuart Baxter was being lined up as a replacement.

But, on Saturday night at Athlone Stadium, in a gutsy 1-0 PSL win over Ajax Cape Town, SuperSport turned in a courageous, unified performance to dispel all the speculation surrounding their coach.

The result, achieved despite being reduced to 10 men with 17 minutes to go, when substitute Kingston Nkhatha was sent off, sees SuperSport ease into a comfortable, secure mid-table log position with 13 points from 11 games. In contrast, Ajax have now slumped to 12th place on the PSL standings.

Thuso Phala scored in the fourth minute and, from there, Igesund’s men soaked up a tremendous amount of pressure. They were under the cosh from Ajax, especially after going a man down, but they hung in there, defended like men possessed, and got the result they wanted.

“I’m very happy with the performance,” said Igesund. “There aren’t many teams who come to Cape Town and beat Ajax … But we dug deep and, even when down to 10 men, we worked hard, we kept our shape, and kept Ajax out. I was happy with every single player out there as they gave their all and made me proud.”

As for talk of job pressure, Igesund said it was all media speculation.

“I guess journalists have to sell newspapers,” said Igesund. “In any case, there’s already pressure on every coach in the PSL, the nature of the job is to win games.

“But as for pressure from within the club, never… I can assure you I have the support of the players and the club’s management has always been 100 percent behind me.”

But Igesund can certainly breathe a lot easier now. SuperSport have definitely turned the corner. After an early season wobble, which led to the rumours about the coach’s tenuous position, the Pretoria club is now unbeaten in their last four games, with two wins and two draws.

While Igesund rightly points out that the entire SuperSport team deserves praise, two names certainly require singling out. Captain Dean Furman played his first PSL match in the city of his birth – and he was a towering presence in midfield. The industrious Camps Bay-born midfielder, who has played most of his career in England, tackled, harassed, defended, passed and trod every blade of grass. In addition, he led the team with aplomb, inspiring and demanding every last drop of energy from his brave teammates.

And then there was 19-year-old defender, Denwin Farmer. Here’s a kid to watch… Everyone always talks about Ajax teenager Rivaldo Coetzee – but, rest assured, this lad is just as good. The talented SuperSport footballer stamped his authority on the game with a mature display in defence. The rest of the PSL may be scared of Cape striker Nathan Paulse’s height and abrasiveness, but not Farmer. The teenager shut out the experienced Ajax man and gave as good as he got all night.

Farmer is included in the SA U23 squad leaving for Senegal tomorrow for the Olympic-qualifying Eight Nations tournament in Senegal. The top three countries at the event book a place at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.

With Farmer, Coetzee and Maritzburg United’s rated defender and SA 23 captain Kwanda Mngonyama marshalling the defence, they must surely have a great chance of a good run in Senegal.

The PSL takes a break for the Eight Nations competition, taking place from November 28 to December 10, and Ajax coach Roger de Sa will have to use the time to get his men to be more creative and more clinical and decisive in and around the penalty area. The Capetonians definitely lacked penetration in attack against SuperSport on Saturday. - Cape Times

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