Richards Bay interim coach Vusi Vilakazi has revealed that they will bring in “three or four players” in the January transfer window but did not divulge the names of the new signings.
Vilakazi indicated that those deals have already been completed, saying these are players with PSL experience who he feels will help his side when the DStv Premiership resumes in February post the Africa Cup of Nations break.
Bay are second from bottom in the DStv Premiership with 13 points after 16 matches, and they have been in that position for the whole first half of the season. They desperately need fresh blood in an effort to move away from the position they find themselves in.
“We will beef up our squad,” said Vilakazi.
“Obviously with the experienced players, who are there in the system of the PSL. We have a lot of youngsters recruited from the ABC Motsepe League and Motsepe Foundation Championship and this experience is needed so we can survive the situation we are in.
“We have names and I’m not going to mention them now, but at least we got about three to four players that will join us when we come back and very experienced players that will help us a lot.”
Vilakazi was handed the Bay post on 25 December when the club parted ways with Kaitano Tembo “until further notice”, as per the club statement.
Kanu, who in the space of four months has been in three clubs – leaving Golden Arrows in September and then joining Chippa United before resigning and coming to Bay early last month, won his first game in charge as Bay beat SuperSport United 3-1 at King Zwelithini Stadium on Saturday to record just the club’s third league win this season and fourth in the whole year.
But it was a side that Vilakazi has defeated three times this season, having beaten Gavin Hunt’s men with Arrows in his last game as the co-coach in September and with Chippa in the same month.
“Maybe my ancestors hate SuperSport because the last time I was at Golden Arrows, we beat them 3-1, I went to Chippa, and we beat them 1-0 and today we beat them again,” he said.
“So, when you look at face-to-face [stats] against SuperSport, I’m very much happy.”
Vilakazi is familiar with being on the winning side in his first game – he interestingly won his first game alongside Morgan Mammila when Chippa beat Tembo’s Richards Bay in September.
He said winning his first game with Bay is the stuff of dreams for any coach.
“Obviously as a coach your first game in charge you want results that are positive,” he said.
“It is a big hope to the club, a big hope to the chairman since he appointed me. So, we wanted results, dark or blue. Whether it is a scrappy game or not, we wanted results.”
