Mamelodi Sundowns' Champions League success delays Highlands Park's PSL campaign

02 August 2016 - 14:34 By Nick Said

Allan Freese says he is unsure whether a later start to the new Premier Soccer League season will be a help or a hindrance for his newly-promoted Highlands Park side. And the coach has also revealed to Times Media Digital that he does not expect any more signings at the Johannesburg-based club after 12 new players were unveiled last month.Highlands Park have been handed what is essentially an additional three weeks of pre-season after their opening league fixture against champions Mamelodi Sundowns was postponed due to the latter’s African Champions League tie away at Enyimba of Nigeria. It means their season opens at home to fellow promoted side Baroka FC on September 13 and while Freese has extra time to prepare his players‚ he feels they could be behind the rest of the clubs in terms of fitness and match sharpness.“It might actually be a disadvantage‚” he says.“While other teams are playing competitive matches‚ we are left with training games. Some teams will have played two games by the time we play our first one.“They will be sharper than us. I probably would have preferred to start with the rest of the teams‚ but that is not an option‚ so we must make do.” Freese says there will not be too much to read into a first game against Baroka FC as well‚ with both sides having made so many changes since they met in the National First Division last season.“We have both tried to strengthen the team with experience in the PSL and both teams will be quite different from last year. I don’t think there is an advantage for either to say‚ ‘we know this team from last year’.”Highlands Park have done some impressive work in the transfer market‚ including bringing in last season’s Absa Premiership top-scorer Collins Mbesuma and highly-rated Zimbabwe forward Charlton Mashumba from Jomo Cosmos.Eddie Ngalo‚ Thanduyise Khuboni and Khethukuthula Zwane are others with top-flight experience.“It was important to bring in players with PSL and international experience to work with our youngsters and help take the team forward‚” Freese says.“This is a whole new level and for some of our young players‚ it will be a big step up.“I am happy with the players we have brought in and this will be it for us‚ I don’t expect any more new signings. This is the group we will work with this season.” The club has just completed a mini-camp at the High Performance Centre and University of Pretoria. They will now step up their preparations for the new season by getting stuck into training matches.“It is a new phase now where we are starting to play games and so far I am very happy with how things are going. I’m sure we will be ready for the new season.“All the new players are fitting in well and things are looking good.” - TMG Digital..

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