Papi Zothwane targets Fifa break to rebuild Sekhukhune United

Sekhukhune United coach Papi Zothwane hopes the forthcoming Fifa international break will give him time to address the weaknesses in his side and further establish his preferred style of play.

Zothwane was appointed after the club recently parted ways with Cedric Kaze, and has overseen two matches since taking charge as head coach in September. Both ended in draws, with Sekhukhune held 0-0 by TS Galaxy before drawing 1-1 with Stellenbosch.

The team face Richards Bay next, with Zothwane keen to secure a victory before the break and use the time available to continue making changes.

“The team is not yet where we want it to be, we are playing Richards Bay and we will have a Fifa break. There are a lot of things that we need to improve,” Zothwane stated.

“But we will get there, the team will get to the way we want it to play. The process of trying to change things sometimes might not come. But we must not lose matches, and the point we took against Stellenbosch will help us somewhere.

“So, we will get there and we have to try and win our game against Richards Bay, so we go to the recess with a win.”

The coach believes restoring the players’ confidence will be another important part of his work, particularly after the club’s recent run of results.

Sekhukhune are currently on a five-match winless run across all competitions, and Zothwane said the players must regain belief in their own ability.

“The goal first is to get the players believing in themselves because when you are not winning most of the players think they are not good enough,” he said.

Zothwane remains confident in the quality within the squad and has set a clear objective for the season.

“We’ve good players that will take us to where we want. Personally, the team that I’m coaching now has always been in the top five. Obviously, with me taking over at the club, I want them to remain in the top five come the end of the season.”

Sekhukhune will travel to Princess Magogo Stadium to play Richards Bay on Saturday at 3pm, seeking a win that would provide momentum before the international recess.