SuperSport United interim coach Andre Arendse has praised winger-turned-defender Vincent Pule and Neo Rapoo for their display in the side’s 1-1 draw in the Betway Premiership away at Polokwane City.
The result at the old Peter Mokaba Stadium put Matsatsantsa in 14th place on the log, equal on 23 points with Cape Town City behind them. The two players were changes from SuperSport’s last game, with Arendse saying he had a chat with Pule about finding his form again and playing him in his best position.
“Pule, he was missing that Pule of note that we know and I said this to him on a training ground and that’s the Pule we know,” said Arendse.
“That’s the one I know. You know, he said to me his best position is on wide-right, inverted, coming inside. That’s what he did so well today, whether he was having shots at goal or whether he was putting in passes in crosses or threading passes through, fantastic.”
As far as 19 year old Rapoo is concerned the coach felt that the youngster’s performance justified why he will only link up with the national U20 side at the AFCON later.
“The biggest decision and I had to make a very, very difficult decision where Neo Rapoo is concerned,” added the former Bafana Bafana number one goalkeeper.
“So he’s going to be missing the opening game tomorrow for the U20 AFCON because I had to keep him back for this game. He understood that and today he showed why I kept him back and the importance that he brought to the team from a defensive perspective and also from a set piece delivery perspective, corners and free-kicks. And he was fantastic.
“In fact, I felt that we should have got one or two more headed goals from his delivery from wide areas. And so, I’m so happy that he proved me right, that I had to keep him back and now he can go and join up with the team. So that for me 100% correct the two of them very influential for the team today.”
