Royal AM president Shauwn Mkhize has opened up the pressure her side are facing in the race for the CAF Champions League spot with Kaizer Chiefs, Orlando Pirates and Cape Town City.
Thwihli Thwahla currently sit in second place with 46 points and four games are still to be played.
They’re followed by Cape Town City, ahead of Wednesday evening’s DStv Premiership fixtures, as well as Chiefs and Pirates.
MaMkhize, as she’s affectionally known, has now praised her team for the exploits this season and for outperforming all expectations, but also admitted they felt the pressure to stay ahead of the chasing pack.
“I must say, even the position that we’re sitting at now, it’s still a milestone for Royal AM,” she said on PSLNow.
“We came in four days before the league started. The club’s mandate was very clear, to stay in the league and save the status.
“What they’ve done, they’ve exceeded my expectations as the president of the club. I must say it’s not easy to defend the position with having three legends teams behind you, which is Cape Town City, who are on great form, beating everyone, one point behind us.
“We’re having Chiefs, five points difference from us and we’re having Pirates – those are the legends teams and we’re fighting this position with the legends teams, it’s not easy, because it’s us who are under [more] pressure than them.
“But our boys will fight, we’ll try.”
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MaMkhize also opened up on the secret behind her team’s brilliant form this campaign, the team wants to show they deserve their spot in the DStv Premiership after their court case last campaign.
“I think it’s the team spirit, they draw so much from me – I think I’m a fighter by nature and I always like to do the unbelievable, the unthinkable,” she added.
“And when people start to say it’s impossible, that’s where I strive the most.
“I think that has been the Moto of Royal AM, especially the players that have been at Royal AM last season.
“To them, it came as a fact that they are grateful for the opportunity that they’re playing in the elite league after what happened to us.
“We fought and the way we fought to come into the elite league, I think they are now trying to prove and show that they deserve to be there. They want to be there on merit.
“For me, it’s based on family, unity, belief and faith.”
Royal AM take on Maritzburg United in the KZN derby at 17:00 on Wednesday evening.
ENGLISH iDiski Times Edition 51 – Josef Zinnbauer & Brandon Petersen
