August 2017 Results
League
View attachment 451148
100% start and it feels like we're starting to really pull away from the competition as the best team in South Africa.
Super 8 Cup
View attachment 451147
Our last 3 games of the month were against AmaZulu, did well to beat them handily in the first two matches then fell to a loss in the third, but to be fair I wasn't playing a full strength team in that one and we did what we needed to to advance.
Champions League
View attachment 451145
Can you spot the common theme here? All games finished 4-1 in our favor and boy was I wrong about Al-Ahly being the best team in the group, they've yet to pick up any points.
Squad
View attachment 451144
Great performances from the lads and Nkoana remains the best of the bunch. Mxabo looks like he could have the breakout year I've been hoping for, his injury was a short one, less than a week out. Kind of makes me second guess myself going in for Fernando with an already capable backup in Nguzana, but oh well, at least we have some real competition for spots at the top. There's a player missing from this list, but I'll get to that later.
League Table
View attachment 451143
Not much to say this early on, things should change radically over the coming months.
Champions League Group A
View attachment 451142
At the top and if we don't stay there I'll be disappointed, especially with the easier half of matches coming up, 2 at home and just one away.
Group B
View attachment 451141
With Orlando Pirates performing this well it gives me a good feeling about how far we can go in this competition.
Another bit of news:
View attachment 451140
I knew this might be coming with some of the huge wins we've had but to break it just halfway through the group games is amazing.
End of Transfer Window Dealings
View attachment 451139
Wasn't really planning on making too many changes to the squad, but Steaua Bucharest threw a wrench in that. They came in with an offer for Ary a couple of months ago for $150k which was rejected, but they kept offering more until finally just before deadline day they made the $475k offer that I couldn't refuse. I immediately began scouring the globe for his replacement and found a central midfielder that I couldn't believe would consider moving to us in Christian Grindheim.
View attachment 451113View attachment 451112View attachment 451111
He wouldn't listen to any offers unless they included handing him the reigns of youth development at the club, so I made a significant downgrade at that position to convince him to come. It's amazing that we've been able to attract a player that's played in the Norwegian Premier Division, Danish Superliga, and the Eredivisie all to end his playing career in South Africa of all places. Unfortunately I had to fire this guy to make it happen:
View attachment 451106
I'll definitely be looking out for him in the future when I move to a new club.
View attachment 451105View attachment 451104View attachment 451103View attachment 451102
Patricio and Barkhuizen come in as cover at the fullback position, Fernando should challenge Mxabo for a starting spot at top. After selling Ary and bringing in Grindheim it left the wings lacking a little depth so I signed Shitembi to be used in a rotation on the left. I was trying to lure some other players in that could play on both wings, but for some reason the board's not letting me offer much in terms of salary which limited my options despite having a massive amount of wage budget available. I seem to remember in previous years being able to ask the board to increase the maximum salary for players but I can't seem to find that option this year. Maybe I'm thinking of staff salaries.
League
View attachment 451148
100% start and it feels like we're starting to really pull away from the competition as the best team in South Africa.
Super 8 Cup
View attachment 451147
Our last 3 games of the month were against AmaZulu, did well to beat them handily in the first two matches then fell to a loss in the third, but to be fair I wasn't playing a full strength team in that one and we did what we needed to to advance.
Champions League
View attachment 451145
Can you spot the common theme here? All games finished 4-1 in our favor and boy was I wrong about Al-Ahly being the best team in the group, they've yet to pick up any points.
Squad
View attachment 451144
Great performances from the lads and Nkoana remains the best of the bunch. Mxabo looks like he could have the breakout year I've been hoping for, his injury was a short one, less than a week out. Kind of makes me second guess myself going in for Fernando with an already capable backup in Nguzana, but oh well, at least we have some real competition for spots at the top. There's a player missing from this list, but I'll get to that later.
League Table
View attachment 451143
Not much to say this early on, things should change radically over the coming months.
Champions League Group A
View attachment 451142
At the top and if we don't stay there I'll be disappointed, especially with the easier half of matches coming up, 2 at home and just one away.
Group B
View attachment 451141
With Orlando Pirates performing this well it gives me a good feeling about how far we can go in this competition.
Another bit of news:
View attachment 451140
I knew this might be coming with some of the huge wins we've had but to break it just halfway through the group games is amazing.
End of Transfer Window Dealings
View attachment 451139
Wasn't really planning on making too many changes to the squad, but Steaua Bucharest threw a wrench in that. They came in with an offer for Ary a couple of months ago for $150k which was rejected, but they kept offering more until finally just before deadline day they made the $475k offer that I couldn't refuse. I immediately began scouring the globe for his replacement and found a central midfielder that I couldn't believe would consider moving to us in Christian Grindheim.
View attachment 451113View attachment 451112View attachment 451111
He wouldn't listen to any offers unless they included handing him the reigns of youth development at the club, so I made a significant downgrade at that position to convince him to come. It's amazing that we've been able to attract a player that's played in the Norwegian Premier Division, Danish Superliga, and the Eredivisie all to end his playing career in South Africa of all places. Unfortunately I had to fire this guy to make it happen:
View attachment 451106
I'll definitely be looking out for him in the future when I move to a new club.
View attachment 451105View attachment 451104View attachment 451103View attachment 451102
Patricio and Barkhuizen come in as cover at the fullback position, Fernando should challenge Mxabo for a starting spot at top. After selling Ary and bringing in Grindheim it left the wings lacking a little depth so I signed Shitembi to be used in a rotation on the left. I was trying to lure some other players in that could play on both wings, but for some reason the board's not letting me offer much in terms of salary which limited my options despite having a massive amount of wage budget available. I seem to remember in previous years being able to ask the board to increase the maximum salary for players but I can't seem to find that option this year. Maybe I'm thinking of staff salaries.