Venda Football Club (VFC) will collect enough points to pull the team out of the relegation zone in their remaining 15 matches if the words of the team's head coach, Mr Stanford Nkoane, are anything to go by.
Nkoane took over from Mr Vladislav Heric two weeks ago. In an interview after his team's 2-0 victory over Black Leopards last Saturday, Nkoane revealed that his mandate is to save the team from relegation.
When asked if the mandate werre achievable under the current circumstances, the soft-spoken mentor said he would not have accepted the job offer from VFC if saving the team from relegation was unrealistic. He indicated that although he plans for one game at a time, his aim is to win as many home games as possible and secure at least a draw away from home.
He further mentioned that he would only start thinking about a top-eight finish once he was confident the team was completely safe from relegation. The former Baroka FC and Marumo Gallants head coach reiterated that anything was still possible, given there were 15 league matches left in the season.
Like all other teams in the Motsepe Foundation Championship League, VFC played their last first-round league match last Saturday. Nkoane said that during the short time he had been with the team, he had observed a lot of talent within the squad. He added that it was still difficult for him to understand why the team was fighting for survival, considering the quality of players they had.
Saturday's match was VFC's first league game under Nkoane's guidance. The victory over Black Leopards saw VFC move up the log standings. The team now sits in second-last position with 12 points, two points clear of Lerumo United. VFC's next fixture will be against Milford FC at King Zwelithini Stadium in Durban on Sunday.