Days after gaining promotion to the ABC Motsepe League, Old Grey FC skipper Xolisa “PA” Sifunda said they were looking forward to making their debut in the semi-professional league.
The club topped the standings in the Safa Nelson Mandela Bay Men’s Hollywoodbets Regional League to book themselves a spot in the ABC Motsepe League playoffs in Makhanda at the weekend.
Old Grey finished on top of Group B with six points after beating Amathole Hotspurs 5-0 in their first game, while their second match against Royal Hearts was ruled as a walkover.
“We are happy with what we have achieved and are looking forward to playing at the next level,” Sifunda said.
“I played for more than 11 years in the Motsepe League and helped to promote a couple of teams previously.
“The experience is there, so we know exactly what is expected of us.
“We have good technical staff who can take the team to greater heights, even up to a professional set-up come the end of next season, because the players we have don’t deserve to play in the Motsepe League.
“We have quality youngsters and experienced players. They deserve to play higher.
“We are a disciplined team who have goals.
“Yes, we will be newcomers in the ABC Motsepe, but that doesn’t mean we don’t know our story.
“We will push as hard as we can to get results and succeed.
“I know it won’t be easy, but we will make it our priority that the club does well, because Old Grey FC are the club that everyone looks up to, because of the structure we have in the team and our professionalism.”
Old Grey join other Bay clubs competing in the ABC Motsepe League coastal stream — Peace Makers and Gqeberha United.
Club chair Richard Hutton said the players had been disappointed about not achieving promotion the previous season, but he was extremely proud of the management, coaches and players for their achievement this time around.
“It has been an incredible process,” Hutton said.
“Not easy, but we have remained disciplined and focused on the goal.
“We were disappointed after not achieving promotion last season, but the technical team reassessed their plans and came back stronger.
“What the team have achieved in two seasons is phenomenal, but it didn’t come without sacrifices and commitment.
“They have worked hard on and off the field to achieve this goal.
“This is massive for the club and players.
“We also believe it’s great for Nelson Mandela Bay as we now represent not just Old Grey but all football lovers in the metro.
“It’s something we had our sights on for a while.
“It also creates a platform for our youngsters to be noticed and hopefully make it through to professional football.”
Asked if he would be making changes to the technical team or strengthening certain departments in terms of play, Hutton said: “We are first going to absorb this moment and enjoy the celebrations for a few weeks.
“Then the committee will sit down with the technical team and discuss the plans and goals for next season.
“We believe in the system and process we have in place, our current squad is strong and we will continue to grow every week with the inclusion of new players our coaches decide to bring in.
“Our coaching and technical team have a vast amount of experience and expertise and we believe we can compete well this season in the ABC Motsepe league.”
The Herald
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