'Top three is the target,' says Tinkler as he attempts to take pressure off his City charges

20 April 2017 - 12:31 By Mark Gleeson
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Cape Town City head coach Eric Tinkler looks on from the bench during the Absa Premiership match against Bidvest Wits at Cape Town Stadium on April 19, 2017 in Cape Town, South Africa.
Cape Town City head coach Eric Tinkler looks on from the bench during the Absa Premiership match against Bidvest Wits at Cape Town Stadium on April 19, 2017 in Cape Town, South Africa.
Image: Darren Stewart/Gallo Images

Cape Town City coach Eric Tinkler does not want to put pressure on his players by entertaining talk of winning the Premier Soccer League title.

The City coach has tried to ease the increasing pressure on the premiership leaders by claiming the club’s season-end target is a top-three finish.

“Top three is the target. We’d love to qualify to play in Africa next year‚” he said.

City held on to their narrow lead at the summit of the league standings after coming from behind to draw 1-1 with fellow title challengers Bidvest Wits at the Cape Town Stadium on Wednesday night.

  • Sundowns move to within two points off leaders with last gasp win over SuperSport Hlompho Kekana's 83rd minute goal propelled Mamelodi Sundowns to a deserved 1-0 win against SuperSport United and underlined their dominance over their Pretoria rivals. 

Tinkler's charges are one point ahead of Wits and two ahead of defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns‚ but both rivals have played two games less as the race to the title enters the final straight.

City are also one point ahead of Kaizer Chiefs‚ who have played the same number of games as them.

“I don’t want to put pressure on my players‚" he said.

"We now turn our focus to Chiefs and again it goes to the philosophy that we’ve had since the beginning of the season … we don’t play for‚ or plan for‚ any game for a draw.

  • Cape Town City remain top of the log despite home draw against Wits Cape Town City came back after conceding an early goal to force a 1-1 draw against Bidvest Wits at the Cape Town Stadium on Wednesday night, as Tshepo Gumede scored his first ever goal to keep them in a narrow lead at the top of the table. 

"We plan to beat whoever we play and that will remain.

"But at the same time we have to be thankful for what we have already achieved.

“The players have been superb … sublime actually … with what they have achieved so far.

"And throwing pressure on them by saying‚ ‘we should have won this and that because of the league’ I don’t think would work in our favour.

"So we rather just focus on the next game.”

City’s original target was just to stay up in the top-flight in their maiden season but that has changed consistently as the club has kept winning.

  • Coach Eymael says City players 'lied'Eccentric coach Luc Eymael yesterday made shock accusations, saying players were forced to lie in Polokwane City's case against him after he resigned suddenly. 

They are now guaranteed a top eight place but are aiming higher.

City host Chiefs at the Cape Town stadium next Tuesday and then have five more league matches after that:

Maritzburg United (May 1‚ away)

Free State Stars (May 5‚ home)

SuperSport United (May 9‚ away)

Lamontville Golden Arrows (May 17‚ home)

Polokwane City (May 27 away)

- TMG Digital/TMG Sport

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