Cape Town Spurs coach Ernst Middendorp has released the shackles of his players and encouraged them to enjoy the rest of the season as they chase a near-impossible race to avoid relegation from the top flight.
The Urban Warriors secured just their fifth win of the campaign against Royal AM with a 1-0 result on Tuesday, moving to within five points of 15th-placed Richards Bay FC in the Premiership standings with three games of the season remaining.
Gadiel Michael Kamagi grabbed the winner for Spurs with a 64th-minute penalty.
Having lifted spirits with two wins and two draws at the resumption of the second round, it seemed as if Spurs were set to stage one of the most memorable comebacks in South African football history.
However, that would not materialise as they went on to lose the five that followed and grab just two wins in that seven-match period, allowing the Natal Rich Boyz to recover from several mishaps themselves.
The KwaZulu-Natal outfit now just need to collect four more points from their remaining matches to ensure that Spurs make an immediate return to the first division.
Staring down the barrel, the normally stern Middendorp has encouraged his side to play with freedom.
The German tactician deployed six under-23 players in his starting XI against Thwihli Thwahla, introducing a dash of youthful exuberance to his team.
Speaking to the media after the match at the Harry Gwala Stadium in Pietermaritzburg, Middendorp said that he would drill the idea of playing without fear and freedom into his players for the rest of the season.
“Feel free, have fun, enjoy it and show the energy we have seen today – and just be prepared to optimise the individual skills that they have, while contributing to the collective cause – that’s the most important stuff,” he said.
Spurs endured the worst first round ever seen in the South African top flight as they lost 13 of their first 15 games in the league, while drawing one and securing a solitary win against Orlando Pirates.
Middendorp, who took over in November, initially struggled to get his ideas across as he clashed with both players and the club’s supporters before the mid-season Africa Cup of Nations break.
The 65-year-old mentor has chosen to look on the positive side as he explained that Spurs should be complimented for having the character to keep fighting and be among the teams collecting points in the second round of the season.
Victory at the Harry Gwala Stadium! 💪🏼🛡️#CAPETOWNSPURS#URBANWARRIORS#PSL#DSTVPREMIERSHIP#OURYOUTHOURFUTURE#CAPETOWN#SOUTHAFRICA pic.twitter.com/9y4T32WBkK
— Cape Town Spurs FC (@CapeTownSpursFC) May 7, 2024
“I said it in January, when we started with all the changes, that I think we are chasing the impossible, and it is still the same now – we would be in position eight if the only points counted were in 2024,” he said.
“It’s normally impossible for some change to happen in a squad, and in the starting XI, it normally takes three years.
“We are still in a position to make it happen somehow, and it’s a huge compliment to the guys.”