JOHANNESBURG – Following a bumpy ride to the summit of the Premiership standings, Polokwane City coach Zlatko Krmpotic has encouraged his charges to play with character and urgency to get results going forward.
City’s impressive start to their campaign under Krmpotic is well documented.
But few would have tipped them to sit atop the summit of the 16-team log table with 13 points after six matches. In their first five league matches, their stranglehold over their counterparts was being solid defensively, as they had only conceded two goals, while their downfall was failing to be clinical in front of goal, as they managed only three goals.
However, in their recent encounter at home, an invigorated Rise and Shine team burst into life when all the players that took the field aced their roles as they easily dispatched MTN 8 finalists SuperSport United 3-1 on Saturday afternoon.
Zlatko Krmpotic chats to Themba Chauke of Polokwane City at Newlands Stadium in Cape Town on 17 August 2019. Photo: Ryan Wilkisky/BackpagePix
“When we started the first game of the season against Black Leopards, we didn’t have a big roster as we had only 14 players. But to have back some of our integral players, that’s massive.
“Now, we must work hard and approach each and every game to win. We are in a position where we need to play good football that yields good results,” Krmpotic said after the game.
Krmpotic’s troops will be hoping to avenge their MTN8 semi-final loss to Highlands Park, when the two teams clash in a Premiership encounter on Sunday.