John Maduka, coach of Royal AM during the Dstv Premiership 2023/24 match between Moroka Swallows and Royal AM at Dobsonville Stadium in Johannesburg on the 25th of May 2024. Picture: Nokwanda Zondi, BackpagePix
ROYAL AM coach John Maduka has expressed his slight happiness at his side’s preparations ahead of the season remaining undisclosed.
Thwihli Thwahla have, just like most Betway Premiership sides, been hard at work getting their fitness levels up with several friendly matches.
Amongst those friendly matches were pre-season tournaments like the KZN Premier’s Cup and the Prince Mangosuthu Legacy Cup.
The Pietermaritzburg-based outfit won the 2024 Premier’s Cup but failed to defend their Legacy Cup as they were trounced 3-0 by Richards Bay on Saturday at Ulundi Regional Stadium.
Royal AM are also anxiously awaiting the football world governing body Fifa’s decision on their long-standing transfer ban.
With a youthful 2024/25 squad, Maduka has been presented with arguably the most difficult task in the division and has been doing his best to sharpen the arsenal at his disposal.
Speaking after the match in Ulundi, Maduka expressed that although he is aware that clubs have information on his team, he has been happy to retain a certain level of secrecy with a clash against Cape Town City on the horizon.
“It does give you a slight advantage because you’re not really exposed much but at the end of the day we know each other and with games like today, so many people took videos so somewhere somehow teams might find it.
“But also it could be another advantage because the game we’re gonna play against them will be a totally different ball game,” he said.
Thwihli Thwahla will welcome the Cityzens to the Harry Gwala Stadium on September 14 when the Betway Premiership kicks off.
Their latest defeat exposed glaring mistakes, and they almost whimpered out of the tournament without any resistance, a trait he will have to shake off if he is to help the side survive relegation, which was the reality they faced in the past two campaigns.
Maduka admitted that his side would get a slight mental knock but consoled himself that they were exposed now rather than when their season starts.
“Confidence yes maybe (we might take a knock), but imagine if we won today four or five nil and you go to Cape Town City thinking you’re doing well, and then you don’t play to that level and it becomes a problem, so it’s a blessing in disguise,” he explained.
He added: “All of these things have happened in this game and we’re able to work on it now before that game and ensure that it doesn’t happen again, because when you win sometimes you forget the areas that you haven’t improved or the areas that you should be doing well.”