Golden Arrows co-coach Vusimuzi Vilakazi has outlined problems they are working so hard to fix at the club to ensure they take the team to the next level.
VV aims to collect as many maximum points as possible in the upcoming DStv Premiership season, which starts on Friday, to end the 2022/23 season in a better position.
Vilakazi believes their defensive frailties were their Achilles heel last season. Abafana Bes’thende finished ninth on the log, missing out on MTN8 after conceding 40 goals. At one point they were thrashed 6-0 by treble winning champions Mamelodi Sundowns which led to the sacking of coach Lehlohonolo Seema.
“We’re grateful for the collection we gained so far and looking forward to this season. Looking at our season last season, we had a lot of departments that needed our attention. This pre-season was a lot because we were trying to fix so many departments; our defensive structure,” Vilakazi told ExtraTimeOnGagasiFM.
“When the season started we were conceding a lot of goals. At some stage we wanted to fix that and make sure we have a strong and solid defensive structure that cannot be penetrated easily.”
“We tried fixing that to make sure our opposition find it difficult to penetrate us or to even score against us. You need to always find the balance on the defensive structure and we couldn’t score goals because we were playing a loss-draw. When you focus on the offensive line, you concede goals, so I think that balance was not up to par.”
The former Arrows Diski Challenge mentor further revealed that their appointment with Mabhuti Khenyeza as co-coaches came in as a shock to the duo.
“We’ve been in the structures of the club for quite some time now, and it was a surprise by the chairlady when she decided to elevate us and give us this position. We’ve always been there for the club, we’ve always put Golden Arrows in our hearts before anything else.”
“For us we were not assistant for the coach but we were assistant coaches for the club. We always wanted the club to do well, giving it all in terms of support whoever was there that time. It’s not only [Lehlohonolo] Seema, but all coaches who have been around.”
“We’re happy for the chance and we hope to do well hopefully. We’re still young coaches, not by age, both of us are 40 this year, but in the setup of PSL, we’re new. We’ve learned from other coaches who’ve been around. So far, so good, we’ve lost some solid players, but we got replacements,” Vilakazi concluded.
Abafana Bes’thende open the new campaign by hosting league newcomers Richards Bay in a KZN Derby on Saturday.
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