Durban - Swallows FC coach Dylan Kerr is the reigning champion coach of the Nedbank Cup having won the tournament last season with former club Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila (TTM).
While Swallows’ top priority at the moment will be to avoid relegation from the top-flight this season, there is no doubt that Kerr will demand nothing less than victory from his side when they host TS Sporting at the Dobsonville Stadium on Saturday in the Nedbank Cup Round of 32.
“For personal reasons, I want to win the game. I’m the current holder of the Nedbank Cup with TTM (now Marumo Gallants). It’s an important fixture, not just for myself but for the football club. It is a massive and prestigious tournament to win. To win this tournament, you have to beat teams in the GladAfrica Championship and we now have a tough meeting with TS Sporting,” said Kerr.
Since taking over Swallows in December, Kerr has helped the club exit the relegation zone. However, their worries are far from over as they still only lead 15th place Baroka FC by one point.
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“I’ve got faith in what the players can do. It will be a headache to pick the starting xi. We’ve been having a lot of trialists but we’ve had a fantastic training session to see who wants to be included in the squad against TS Sporting,” said Kerr.
Like Swallows, Sporting’s season has also not gone according to plan. They are third from bottom in the second-tier of South African football and their priority will be to improve their league performances in the second half of the campaign.
“Their priority will be to stay in the GladAfrica Championship. Their priority will be a bit different to ours but it is Cup football. I’ve just come out of a Cup final with Warriors FC in the DSTV Compact Cup and you just want to win and be in the hat for the next round. You never know who you will get. It could be another GladAfrica Championship side or a top side from the top-flight. It’s much better to still be in the reckoning than having to watch on the TV,” said Kerr.
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