SuperSport United interim coach Andre Arendse has praised his team’s mood and motivation as he looks to take charge of the squad for the first time against Kaizer Chiefs on Saturday following head coach Kaitano Tembo’s departure.
The former Bafana Bafana goalkeeper was thrust into the hot seat after the Tshwane side parted ways with Tembo. He is happy with the mood in the camp ahead of the Chiefs’ encounter.
“It’s the vibe, there is intensity, there is a willingness to do things, and these are not things that should be new to players and should be asking them. They know that, and they responded fantastically well,” Arendse told the media.
“Everybody is in tune and sync with what we need to do and the preparations we need to put in place for the game on the weekend.
“People are putting their hands up for starting selections; that’s good, any coach will tell you; it’s a wonderful nightmare to have in terms of whom to play in a specific game.”
Arendse, who served as Tembo’s assistant, admitted that the presence of Chiefs supporters in the stands would make it difficult for them. He, however, insists they will only focus on their game.
“When you play Kaizer Chiefs, you expect a capacity stadium to what it allows under the Covid-19 conditions. That’s something we got to contain, but it always serves as a motivating factor when you play Chiefs and a well-supported team like that,” Arendse added.
He believes his players need to play in front of fans to give them motivation. “We’ll focus on ourselves and what we need to do about how Chiefs will set up on the day. If we get our structure right and manage to play the game within our structure, we’ll be ok,” he said.
Matsatsantsa, eighth in the DStv Premiership, will be looking forward to registering their first win in four outings after suffering straight defeats. Kick-off at FNB Stadium is at 19:30.
