Winners against Sundowns, SuperSport United sets sights on Chiefs

Ten more rounds remain in the Gauteng Development League and Tshwane is well-represented near the top of the log standings of the under-19 division with Mamelodi Sundowns (3rd place) and SuperSport United (4th place) still in contention for the 2024 honours.

While Sundowns has slipped from the top spot, SuperSport United has steadily climbed the ladder and moved into the top five of the standings.

Last season, Matsatsantsa posted 16 victories in 34 matches. This season, after 25 games, they’ve already collected 12 wins.

Their most notable result was in their most recent outing, a 4-0 thrashing of their neighbours, Mamelodi Sundowns, in the Tshwane derby.

The man behind the success of the young team is coach Tumelo Ndaba, who masterminded their title-winning run in the GDL Top Eight at the beginning of the year.

Ndaba, in an exclusive interview with SuperSport Schools Plus, said their victory over Sundowns had a lot to do with his players’ hunger to do well against their formidable neighbours.

Also, the fact that the fixture was played at the Lucas Moripe Stadium, where the SuperSport United senior team plays its Premier Soccer League games, provided the players with added motivation to conquer the Brazilians.

“Playing at Lucas Moripe,  that in itself was a big motivation factor,” Ndaba said. “When you’re playing Sundowns, you don’t need to motivate the players much because my boys are friends with the Sundowns boys – obviously because we are in the same city, so they want to do well against their peers.

“Playing against Sundowns is a test. We get to gauge where we are as an academy. We get to test the development of our players, the mentality and technical aspects.

“That fixture tells us how far we are in terms of our internal goals, not only as an under-19 team but as an academy, because what happens at the top usually reflects what is happening in the lower divisions,” he added. 

At the core of Ndaba’s philosophy, which has helped United maintain its reputation as a talent factory in the South African football space, is effectiveness. It’s something he demands in all aspects of the game.

The SuperSport United coach wants his players to play in a way that leads to goals, victories and trophies, and not worry too much about entertaining the crowds in attendance.

It’s an unusual viewpoint in South African football, with many local coaches focussing heavily on the entertainment factor, which has, for decades, been at the centre of the culture of South African football. Ndaba believes United’s focus has played an important role in the team’s success.

“I need players that have good character, players who are strong mentally,” Ndaba said. “My boys must be comfortable on the ball and able to dominate possession constructively, which means you must be effective as a player.   

“You must be able to create goals, stop them, and assist the forwards if you are playing in the midfield. I’m looking for effective players more than players who are playing for the crowd.”  

This week, Ndaba has the log leaders in his sights as he takes his SuperSport United side to Naturena for a showdown with the Soweto giants, Kaizer Chiefs.

Ndaba wants his players to reflect on their victory over Sundowns and to give their all against Chiefs. “Playing against Chiefs is something else, especially when you have played Sundowns the week prior,” the coach admitted.

“We are going in with the same mentality that we had against Sundowns. We have to win each and every game that we play, no matter what, especially at the under-19 level because that’s where their futures will be decided in terms of whether or not they will make it in football.

“We want to do well when we go to Naturena. Chiefs are a good team and are very competitive. They won the Engen Knockout, which simply means they are playing well at the moment.

“I want my boys to do their best like they did in our last game.

“There’s the SuperSport Schools app now, which also helps them to go back to their past performances and review them, and look to improve. Before we never had that luxury,” he concluded. 

Under 19 Fixtures

Kaizer Chiefs vs SuperSport United
Randburg AFC vs East Rand Athletic Club
Panorama FC vs Remember Elite Sport Academy
NWU Vaal FC vs Rosina Sedibane Modiba Sports School
Mamelodi Sundowns vs School of Excellence
Kathorus Hyper Academy vs Sevens Academy
Jomo Cosmos vs TS Galaxy
Joburg City vs Tuks
Highlands Park vs Wits Junior