GDL: The last run with Highland Park’s Sifiso Mnguni
“The Last Run” of the 2024 edition of Africa’s best development league, the Gauteng Development League beckons.
The province’s most talented footballers, across three divisions, have laced up their boots and taken to the field for 30 weeks straight in pursuit of an elusive Gauteng Development League trophy.
With only four rounds of fixtures remaining, the defending champions of the u19 division, Highlands Park, sit atop the standings with Mamelodi Sundowns, Kaizer Chiefs, SuperSport United, and TS Galaxy completing the top five.
“The Lions of the North” have 77 points, while ‘Downs lie second, with 72 points, ahead of third-placed Chiefs on goal difference. There’s a considerable gap to SuperSport United, in fourth, with 57 points, while TS Galaxy has 50 points.
Sifiso Mnguni, the head coach of the Balfour Park-based Highlands Park, reckons experience plays a very small role at this late stage of the season.
The East Rand-born Mnguni emphasised that the team which embraces the pressure of the next four games will most likely emerge victorious.
“The pressure is there. It can break you or make a diamond out of you,” he told SuperSport Schools Plus. “This is part of the journey and part of life that we are supposed to face. We are supposed to face such difficult moments so that we can grow.
“We’ve got to face situations like these because, irrespective of what could happen, they make us better human beings and make us better footballers. If you can’t handle it, then you have to find another job because here there is always pressure.
“We’ve got to face situations like these because irrespective of what could happen, they make us better human beings and make us better footballers. Experience will work but it’s not enough. We still have to put in a lot of work in these last four games.”
Mnguni has had to watch many of his top players graduate to professional football and, because of that, Highlands Park had a difficult start to the season. He had to rebuild the 2023 title winners while working on the club’s defence of the prestigious title.
Fortunately for the coach, his team has gelled well and now looks almost unbeatable heading into the last two weeks of the league.
After a difficult start to the season, Mnguni said the key to his charges’ success has been their adaptability. Also, he added, the Highlands Park player recruitment team has done an incredible job.
“When the season starts, you have to rebuild. We encountered a lot of different things and we had a lot of new players which made things difficult. It’s a challenge. It hasn’t been easy for us this season,” Mnguni admitted.
“You’ve got to remember that some boys at the u19 level are doing matric and will go to varsity. We always lose players. The difficult part is to rebuild. Also, I think our recruitment has been good because we tried to recruit a few boys from Prestige and Siluma just to get the team balance right.
“But, most importantly, we have been able to adapt and be flexible. At certain times, we don’t have the players that we wish we could have, so we have to try to be flexible. I’m not a one-dimensional coach and I’m not obsessed with playing one way. I’ve got to adapt, especially with where I am when I don’t get the players that I want.
“We’ve got to find the way. We’ve got to try to be flexible. Yes, I’d like to dominate the ball but there are so many facets of the game that you just have to respect.”
Highlands Park takes on Jomo Cosmos on Saturday, away from home.
FIXTURES
Saturday, 19 October
East Rand Athletic Club vs Joburg City
Kaizer Chiefs vs Wits Junior
Kathorus Hyper Academy vs TUKS
Mamelodi Sundowns vs TS Galaxy
NWU Vaal vs SuperSport United
Panorama FC vs Sevens Academy
Randburg AFC vs School of Excellence
Remember Elite Sport Academy FC vs Rosina Modiba Sports School
Sunday, 20 October
NWU Vaal vs Kaizer Chiefs
East Rand Athletic Club vs TUKS
Mamelodi Sundowns vs Randburg AFC
Remember Elite Sport Academy FC vs School of Excellence
Rosina Modiba Sports School vs Kathorus Hyper Academy
