Richards Bay coach Vusumuzi Vilakazi believes an extended run in the Nedbank Cup will help his side turn the corner in the DSTV Premiership as they are in danger of automatic relegation.
Bay will host SuperSport United in the Ke Yona Cup last 16 at King Zwelithini Stadium (3pm).
Vilakazi sees the cup match as the ideal opportunity for his charges to return to winning ways as the season nears towards the end.
The Rich Boys are yet to taste victory in four league outings this year. They have lost three times and drawn once, conceding eight goals during that winless run.
“In our situation, we are not only looking at advancing to the Nedbank Cup, but we are also looking at the bigger picture of trying to make sure that next season we are still participating in the Premiership.
“We need to make sure we utilise that time to fix the problems that we have. In our last match, we played very well but we couldn’t score.
“We need to try and make sure we rectify two things in our offensive play in terms of trying to convert the chances that we get into goals. As much as we are looking for a bigger picture, we need to utilise this game to make sure we fix those problems,” Vilakazi told the media during a Nedbank Cup presser in Durban on Tuesday.
The Rich Boys are two points away from falling into 16th place, with Cape Town Spurs breathing heavily behind them. Spurs have collected eight points in four straight matches to move into 12 points.
Vilakazi revealed his worry over the team’s position on the log and says it is the players’ responsibility to save the club from relegation.
“The concern is there, but I always tell the players almost every day about important things and show them the positives. I think the players need to appreciate the opportunity given to them.
“You cannot lose the opportunity to play in the Premiership. If you are having about 35 players, how many families are we feeding there?
We need to come to the party to make sure that we grab that opportunity, but sometimes things cannot work overnight,” noted Vilakazi.
