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Richards Bay co-coach Ronnie Gabriel acknowledges the significant challenges he faces in contrast to Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso, whose squad is filled with high-quality players often brought in from outside.
Gabriel pointed out that at Richards Bay, they must exert considerably more effort in every aspect of the game to develop their players while also analyzing and adapting to their opponents’ tactics, effectively doubling their workload.
These comments came after a spirited yet ultimately unsuccessful 2-0 loss to Sundowns in a Betway Premiership match at King Zwelithini Stadium on Saturday. Richards Bay has struggled against Sundowns in the PSL, having not registered a win or a draw in any of their previous encounters.
“We are missing the finishing quality, those individuals who can reliably score goals. That is a crucial area for improvement,” stated Gabriel.
“We need to keep pushing forward. It’s essential to be realistic about this group of players. As you’ve mentioned, we have numerous young talents in our squad, and given their backgrounds and the club’s development framework, our emphasis must be on nurturing these young players.”
“We are missing the already-developed talent. We don’t have Ribeiro, we don’t have Sales, or any of the stars from their roster.
“They can easily be slotted into the lineup and deliver results with ease; we have to put in the effort to develop our players on a daily basis.
“We need to create training sessions that simulate the pressures of actual matches, allowing players to encounter goal-scoring opportunities and various situations they might face.”
“Thus, we are coaches focused on development, striving to elevate our players to the highest level.”
“Sundowns boast an array of players who can be sourced from different backgrounds. They come in and can perform their duties on the field seamlessly.”
“This underscores the disparity between our team and Sundowns. Our players need coaching; to respond to your question, we must train them rigorously, establish consistency in their habits, and commit to the process every single day.”
“They must follow specific training programs, and eventually, the results will materialize. It’s all part of a dedicated process.”
The excellence of Sundowns’ standout players was evident during their victory. Lucas Ribeiro Costa assisted his compatriot Arthur Sales for the opening goal in the first half. Costa then extended Sundowns’ lead with a well-placed shot from just outside the box in the second half, without needing to significantly increase their effort.
As Sundowns maintained their position at the top of the table, Richards Bay languished in second to last place with eight points from 12 matches, having played three more games than the bottom-placed Magesi FC. The Limpopo side is set to face second-placed Orlando Pirates at Old Peter Mokaba Stadium on Sunday (15:30).
