Richards Bay coach Brandon Truter expresses his ambition to win a trophy with the club, but acknowledges the team’s recent struggles.

On Sunday, Bay narrowly defeated Sekhukhune United, Truter’s former club, in the Carling Knockout Round of 16 at King Zwelithini Stadium. They will now face Cape Town City in the quarterfinals, expected to occur within the next 13 days.

Truter, who previously guided Moroka Swallows to promotion and came close with AmaZulu, was unfortunately sacked before the second leg of the MTN8 semi-final.

After joining Sekhukhune United, he led the club to the Nedbank Cup final but lost to Orlando Pirates.

“It’s the Carling Cup, the Nedbank Cup, and the league,” said Truter. “Any coach would like to win a trophy, and that’s my ambition as well. But we are mindful of the team we have and the players who have been fighting relegation for two seasons in a row.”

Bay is the only remaining KwaZulu-Natal club in the Carling Knockout after AmaZulu, Royal AM, and Golden Arrows were eliminated in the round of 16.

Having narrowly avoided relegation in the past two seasons, Truter emphasized that stabilizing the team is currently a priority over trophies.

“Trophies are secondary because we have to get the team as high as possible,” he said. “We are playing games, winning games to build maturity, belief, and a winning mentality. It’s a good base to build on, a good win to build on. We keep on ticking boxes, asking questions, and the boys are growing. It’s not just about winning and lifting the trophy, but also about these boys wanting to win things as well.”

Bay reached the semifinals last season in this competition but lost to TS Galaxy under now Sekhukhune assistant coach Kaitano Tembo.