Richards Bay are flying high but remaining realistic

January 2023

Richards Bay reached their primary target for the season on Sunday, when they hit the 30-point mark. That tally, based on previous seasons, is the minimum requirement to avoid relegation from the DStv Premiership and was the first objective for the newly promoted side according to co-coach Vasili Manousak.

He does reckon that in this topsy-turvy season they might need just a few more points to make 100% sure. Once that is achieved, they will then re-set their targets for the rest of the season, but hope to keep up the surprise impact they have made in their debut top-flight season.

The history of the Premier Soccer League is littered with unfashionable clubs finding themselves among the front-runners in the first half of the season before fading away as the rigours of the second part of the campaign begin to take their toll.

Richards Bay are this year’s surprise package and with their 30-point haul sit in second place, albeit significantly behind runaway leaders Mamelodi Sundowns.

But Manousak says the club are well aware of the pitfalls that face them. “When you start speaking about the top six, then the wheels start coming off. So let's get our first target. It's a tricky season.”

The co-coach has hailed the team spirit at the club and said that is the main reason for their success. “There are no egos here,” he adds. Players like goalkeeper Jamal Salim, defender Tshepo Mabua and midfielder Mpho Mathebula are all gems and their on-loan left-back from Mamelodi Sundowns, 21-year-old Siyanda Msane, is already in the reckoning for a place in the Bafana Bafana squad.

Realistic expectation from the club’s owner, businessman Jomo Biyela, also means the pressure is off. If they can hold on for a top-eight finish and qualify for next season’s MTN8, they would be delighted and see that as a brilliant outcome to their rookie season.

Too often owners get ahead of themselves as happened when AmaZulu finished second in 2021, but proved unable to repeat the feat the next season. Manousak, then assistant coach, got fired along with Benni McCarthy as the club chairman vented his frustration.