Durban City Coach: Now Let’s Seal Promotion
Durban City coach Simo Dladla has stated that the team will now focus solely on securing promotion at the end of the season, following their exit from the Nedbank Cup quarter-finals.
Durban City was defeated 4-2 on penalties by Marumo Gallants at Chatsworth Stadium on Sunday, after a 0-0 draw in extra time. Dladla acknowledges that the Nedbank Cup had become a distraction in their pursuit of promotion.
They currently lead the Motsepe Foundation Championship with 40 points from 20 matches, six points ahead of second-placed Orbit College, whom they will host at Chatsworth Stadium on Wednesday night.
“We are pleased that [we no longer have the distraction of the Nedbank Cup]. We are ready and will give our best, starting on Wednesday,” said Dladla after Sunday’s match.
“We have a specific target, which I will not reveal, but we have adhered to our targets from the first game to where we are now. There is no reason to doubt that we will succeed.”
Dladla continued, “We are now undoubtedly ready. If you look at the players we have, they showed readiness. We are out, but we exited with dignity. We did not lose in regulation time; we forced them to extra time, and I believe we were still in control during extra time. They never really threatened us. The players showed character, resilience, and a desire to achieve something.”
Marumo Gallants will now face Orlando Pirates, the “Cup Kings,” who have won the Nedbank Cup twice in the last two seasons, in the semi-finals at Orlando Stadium.
Durban City, rebranded from Maritzburg United at the start of the season, missed an opportunity to enhance the club’s reputation. Dladla admitted that playing and potentially defeating Orlando Pirates would have drawn significant attention to the new team.
“We appreciate the opportunity, but we are disappointed because we tried everything to force the result in our favour,” Dladla admitted. “For me, there was a crucial decision to be made in optional time in the second half, and we didn’t get that decision. I believe that decision might have propelled us into the next round.”
