BidVest Wits head coach Roger de Sa is too experienced a campaigner to get carried away with the fact that his Students are sitting in second place in the Absa Premiership and are unbeaten after nine matches.
De Sa was smiling after a hard fought 3-1 win over bottom club Jomo Cosmos at Milpark on Sunday but said the thing that pleased him most was that his players would have a welcome two week break from domestic fixtures thanks to the Fifa international programme that begins on Monday.
”This break has come at the right time. My players have done brilliantly but they looked jaded, tired and badly need a rest,” De Sa said.
”We were poor against Cosmos. It was a bad performance from us.
”Luckily Cosmos were not up for it either and we managed to make the best of a bad game and collect three priceless points and go into the two week break with a win and our spirits high.”
The Clever Boys are only two points behind leaders Orlando Pirates who many are touting as champions.
”What was important against Cosmos was that we collected the three points,” said De Sa.
”You could see that they are struggling and it is sides like Cosmos we have to beat if we are to be considered serious contenders for the league title.”
Wits will resume their league campaign on October 17 when they travel to Durban’s Chatsworth Stadium where they face Golden Arrows
who have recorded seven draws, two wins and a loss in 10 fixtures.
”Arrows are our next test, but like Cosmos they are the sort of sides we have to get past and despite playing away we need to get three points,” said De Sa.
”We always rise to the occasion against the big teams but now that we have breathing space we can start focusing on Arrows and take it from there.”
The Wits coach was also happy with his new goalkeeper, Francis Chansa, who has a reputation of clowning and being erratic. De Sa, a former top PSL and Bafana Bafana goalkeeper, appears to be getting the best out of the well travelled 34-year-old Congolese player.
Chansa was signed last month as cover for Wits’ talented teenage ‘keeper, Darren Keet, who is on duty with the SA under-20 that have qualified for the second round of the World Youth Championships in Egypt.
”I thought Chansa was outstanding against Cosmos. He made a couple of great saves to keep us in the game in the second half and
he is listening to my instructions,” said De Sa.
”As long as he keeps playing to instructions and makes those saves I am happy.”
The Wits coach is also pleased with 21-year-old striker Calvin Kadi who is the PSL’s leading goalscorer with eight after netting the second goal on Sunday. The Students’ other goals were netted by Fabricio Rodrigues (penalty) and Marawaan Bantam. Cosmos’ goal was scored by Koena Mathopa.
”Kadi is improving and as long as he keeps scoring he will keep playing,” said De Sa.
The coach, however, felt his team were flat against a Cosmos side that are struggling to come to terms with life in the top flight after winning promotion.
Ezenkosi coach Jomo Sono had his players behind locked doors after the defeat and must have read the riot act.
With six points from nine fixtures, things are not looking good for Sono’s side. To be fair, Cosmos have not had much luck, but at this level Sono knows that his players will have to start making their own luck and start taking the goal scoring chances that come their way, otherwise they face a long, hard season fighting the drop back to the First Division.