Richards Bay co-coach Vasili Manousakis has moved swiftly to play down their title ambitions.
Bay's brilliant run this season stretched when, despite being a man down after Siyanda Msani was red-carded just before the halftime break, they held Orlando Pirates to a goalless draw at Orlando Stadium on Saturday. The Natal Rich Boys are now second on the log, just one point behind leaders Mamelodi Sundowns, who have a game in hand.
Even so, Manousakis doesn't think they can do what English Premier League side Leicester City did in the 2015/16 season, when they won the championship as underdogs. The Bay joint coach maintained their goal is to save the side's top-flight status, distancing himself from what the club's boss Jomo Biyela told broadcaster Robert Marawa last month that they want to finish in the top eight.
"No Leicester City talk or dreams or anything like that. The mandate was clear, the chairman said, 'save the status, keep my team in the Premiership' and I said thank you chairman we are going to do our best to do that. Somewhere somehow the other night on the Marawa show I heard the top eight stories, so that hasn't officially come to me yet, so we will leave it as saving the status,'' Manousakis said.
High-riding Richards Bay 'far from title challengers'
We want keep the team in the Premiership – Manousakis
Image: Sydney Mahlangu/BackpagePix
Richards Bay co-coach Vasili Manousakis has moved swiftly to play down their title ambitions.
Bay's brilliant run this season stretched when, despite being a man down after Siyanda Msani was red-carded just before the halftime break, they held Orlando Pirates to a goalless draw at Orlando Stadium on Saturday. The Natal Rich Boys are now second on the log, just one point behind leaders Mamelodi Sundowns, who have a game in hand.
Even so, Manousakis doesn't think they can do what English Premier League side Leicester City did in the 2015/16 season, when they won the championship as underdogs. The Bay joint coach maintained their goal is to save the side's top-flight status, distancing himself from what the club's boss Jomo Biyela told broadcaster Robert Marawa last month that they want to finish in the top eight.
"No Leicester City talk or dreams or anything like that. The mandate was clear, the chairman said, 'save the status, keep my team in the Premiership' and I said thank you chairman we are going to do our best to do that. Somewhere somehow the other night on the Marawa show I heard the top eight stories, so that hasn't officially come to me yet, so we will leave it as saving the status,'' Manousakis said.
Pirates waste another chance to get close to Sundowns as they draw against 10-man rookies Richards Bay
He suggested they never really celebrated the draw at Orlando Stadium because they believed they were capable of beating the "Happy People", noting they don't fear them.
"It's difficult to say we are celebrating this draw. But do we feel better than them [Pirates]? Possibly yes. We are very proud but we also believed we could come and get a win... we respect the team but we don't fear them and that's our approach for every game."
Bay's next match is a KZN derby against Maritzburg United at King Zwelithini Stadium on Saturday. The Natal Rich Boyz would be hoping to maintain their 100% record against fellow KZN teams after having already beaten Golden Arrows, Royal AM and AmaZulu.
Elsewhere on Saturday, SuperSport United hammered Suekhune 3-1, while TS Galaxy and Swallows played to a 0-0 draw.
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