“I sat down with the management and the target was to finish in the top eight. At that time they had played seven matches‚ they had four or five points on the log and some people were saying the writing was on the wall for the club.
“I came up with a model to reach the top eight but now we find ourselves as number one position on the log. I have always maintained that it was Ajax’s league to lose but it is ours to win now.
“Without putting pressure on the boys or anybody‚ including myself‚ this last game will be treated as any other match.”
On Wednesday‚ Swallows beat Richards Bay 2-0 to move to the top of the log after Ajax lost 2-1 to JDR Stars and Truter said he had to remind the players that the job has not been done.
“We are currently on top of the log with a one-goal difference [better than Ajax]. After the win over Richards Bay this week excitement levels went up but afterwards I had to calm the players down. I had to remind them that there is still 90 minutes of football left to be played and we have not won anything.
Swallows coach Truter: ‘It was Ajax’s league to lose but it is ours to win now’
Image: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images
When he was appointed as Moroka Swallows coach in September last year‚ Brandon Truter had a modest target of finishing in the top eight.
Almost a year later‚ as a result of the prolonged season due to Covid-19‚ Truter has managed a sensational transformation of the club and they sit top of the GladAfrica Championship log with one match remaining.
A win with a better goal difference than Ajax Cape Town in their last match against Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila (TTM) at Makhulong Stadium on Sunday will see the Dube Birds return to the Premier Soccer League (PSL) for the first time since 2015.
“I came to Swallows and there was expectation because the team was sitting in 14th spot on the log‚” the coach said as he looked towards the must-win clash against TTM where the Birds will be looking to return to the promised land.
JDR Stars stun Ajax as Swallows snatch lead on second last-day of NFD
“I sat down with the management and the target was to finish in the top eight. At that time they had played seven matches‚ they had four or five points on the log and some people were saying the writing was on the wall for the club.
“I came up with a model to reach the top eight but now we find ourselves as number one position on the log. I have always maintained that it was Ajax’s league to lose but it is ours to win now.
“Without putting pressure on the boys or anybody‚ including myself‚ this last game will be treated as any other match.”
On Wednesday‚ Swallows beat Richards Bay 2-0 to move to the top of the log after Ajax lost 2-1 to JDR Stars and Truter said he had to remind the players that the job has not been done.
“We are currently on top of the log with a one-goal difference [better than Ajax]. After the win over Richards Bay this week excitement levels went up but afterwards I had to calm the players down. I had to remind them that there is still 90 minutes of football left to be played and we have not won anything.
“We are at the top of the log at the moment and we have never been there. We are there with one match to be played and yes people will say we are favourites.
“If you look at the games‚ we have a tough one this weekend against TTM. This is just another game for us and the players must just go out there and do what they have been doing all season long.
“What I like about our group is that they know that the mentality is of taking each game as it comes. That’s how we have been working throughout the season and that’s how we will continue working on our last match of the season.”
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending Now
Latest Videos