Richards Bay coach Vusi Vilakazi says it was critically important to win their last game of the season to draw confidence heading to the PSL promotion and relegation playoffs.  

Bay secured a narrow 2-1 win over Stellenbosch FC at the King Zwelithini Stadium on the final day of the 2023/24 DStv Premiership season on Saturday. Despite the win, they finished second from bottom, requiring them to navigate the playoffs to retain their top-flight status.

Vilakazi acknowledged that their playoff qualification hinged on results beyond their control. Ideally, they needed Royal AM to drop points, but their rivals secured a win against Moroka Swallows instead, leaving Richards Bay with the playoffs as their only hope.

Now facing Baroka FC and University of Pretoria in a mini-league format, Vilakazi is determined to secure their top-flight survival.

“We are very excited for winning the game and also having the confidence going to the playoffs,” said Vilakazi. 

“So, we need to go and be ready mentally.” 

While finishing second-from-bottom might raise concerns, Vilakazi highlights the positive changes since his arrival in December.

Taking charge halfway through the season, Vilakazi oversaw 20 points from those 30 accumulated. This included six wins and two draws, a stark improvement compared to the 10 points collected under his predecessor, Kaitano Tembo.

“I think something that was lacking in our team in the better half of the season where I was in charge, I think we have the consistency,” said Vilakazi. 

“I think we were not consistent in terms of winning games. But also, the levels are not the same in the PSL and the teams that we are going to face, but still we don’t need to undermine them because the danger part is the hunger because they might be hungrier than us because they want to come to the top level. So, I think we will have to try and dig deeper and respect oppositions, but not on the field.”

Vilakazi emphasizes the importance of mental conditioning. “We need to make sure we instill, phycologically, to our players that it’s not going to be easy, but it’s going to be very difficult. Maybe the shock of playing the playoffs might help to try and save our jobs.”