Soccer

Cape Town amateurs want Chiefs in the cup

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Dylan Deane, head coach of Clarewood JPM FC talks to media during the 2023 Nedbank Cup press conference for Cape Town based clubs at Nedbank Clock Tower in the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town on 4 February 2023 © Ryan Wilkisky/BackpagePix
  • Post published:February 10, 2023

Former South Africa under-23 international Dylan Deane has only been in charge of Cape Town amateurs Clarewood JPM for a fortnight but is already setting his sights in the Nedbank Cup on mighty Kaizer Chiefs.

Deane has taken over at the club as coach as they are set to travel to Venda on Sunday for a first round tie against Mpheni Home Defenders, who are also a third tier team.

Deane says they want to be a giantkillers in the competition and there are mixed feeling about being drawn against fellow minnows in the first round.

“Actually, on the one side, you’re thinking this is also a good opportunity to go to the next round, because you’re playing a team that is in the same league as you,” the former Cape Town Spurs defender said.

“But then you also look at it from the other point of view and you say to yourself, we would have loved to play one of the big teams. But I think we were quite happy with the draw because it gives us opportunity to go further in the tournament if we can obviously get through this one. We just happy that we are through in the last 32.”

But if they progress Deane says he wants Chiefs in the second round.

“Being a Kaizer Chiefs supporter myself, I’d actually love to get them. I looked up to a lot to players like Shane McGregor, Rudolph Seale, Ntsie Maphike, Samora Khulu, Teenage Dladla … those players shaped how I look a lot at football and how football should be played in my idea,” he added.

But first up is a trip to Venda against a side they know little about. “I did a bit of research on them. They did well, last year, I think, they did well go to the playoffs.

“The travelling aspect will be new for some of the players. This week has been just basically getting them to understand actually what we can expect the trip … the weather conditions can be a big factor over there. But the players just need to adapt on the day when we get there. And we play our game, I won’t change our play.

“I play my way because the players understand how we play. I’m not going to go there and worry about opponents. But what we are going to do is we’ll be a bit cautious to see what they got to offer in the first 10 to 15 minutes. And then from there, we might adjust certain things,” said Deane.

For some of the Clarewood players it will be a first trip on an airplane to `Johannesburg.

“So that’s always exciting. I remember when I was at Cape Town Spurs and Michael Jacobs played a trick on me on my first flight. He told me to put the seatbelt around my neck, which I did! So yeah, it’s going to be good fun for the boys.”