Maritzburg coach Davids says local clubs can forget about recruiting his players

30 April 2018 - 14:23 By Sazi Hadebe
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Mxolisi Kunene celebrates goal with Fadlu Davids, coach of Maritzburg United during the 2018 Nedbank Cup semi final match between Maritzburg United and Mamelodi Sundowns at Harry Gwala Stadium, Durban on 22 April 2018.
Maritzburg United Mxolisi Kunene celebrates goal with Fadlu Davids, coach of Maritzburg United during the 2018 Nedbank Cup semi final match between Maritzburg United and Mamelodi Sundowns at Harry Gwala Stadium, Durban on 22 April 2018.
Image: Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix

Maritzburg United coach Fadlu Davids says local clubs can forget about recruiting his players after the KwaZulu-Natal side had one of their best season in the Premier Soccer League.

Davids disclosed this after seeing his suffer their eighth defeat of the season against Kaizer Chiefs (2-0) at the FNB Stadium on Saturday while playing with a makeshift starting XI which lacked the services of in-demand midfielder Siphesihle Ndlovu‚ Ghanaian goalkeeper Richard Ofori and midfielder Mxolisi Kunene.

Over the years Maritzburg have lost many players to rival PSL teams but after one their most successful season‚ Davids has vowed to keep most of his players and is only prepared to release them if they get lucrative European contracts.

“The main thing for us will be to keep all our players for next season‚” said Davids‚ whose team is at least assured of finishing fourth on the log.

“After our initial meeting with the chairman we were assured that selling playrs locally will not happen but if European clubs are coming for our players we won’t really stand in their way.

"But none of them will be leaving to any of the big three in the country fortunately.”

Davids said the club is prepared to help those players who are keen to move to Europe.

“Our players want to go to Europe and we will do anything in our power to assist them during the off season.

“If you have players who have these dreams and ambitions to go to Europe it’s no use selling them to the clubs they don’t want to go to.

"Players dreams are important and I definitely think a few of them have the possibility to go to Europe so we will help facilitate that.”

Of their loss on Saturday‚ Davids admitted that they lost against a team which was more hungry for the result after a bad result in Durban against Free State Stars in the semi-final of the Nedbank Cup and a league loss to Golden Arrows.

"I think it was about who wanted it more and they clearly wanted to show after back to back defeats‚” admitted Davids.

“You don’t want to make excuses that it was a third game in six days but you could see that the intensity of the last two matches against Mamelodi Sundowns was starting to take its toll on the players.

“They struggled really to cope with Chiefs play.

“It was a well deserved win for Kaizer Chiefs and I think it’s a good wake up call for our guys and it was better to have this now than to have it in the final (Nedbank Cup against Stars in Cape Town on May 21).

“But it’s important to focus on our last remaining match in the league at against Golden Arrows and put away some thoughts about the final for now."

On their now limited chances to play in the CAF Confederation Cup next season‚ Davids said their last match against Arrows will help determine that but he accepted that even if they win they might not be in.

“It’s not in our hands now it’s in Kaizer Chiefs hands‚” said Davids.

“We will try to win the last game‚ that’s for sure.

“But it’s not in our hands because if Chiefs win they will qualify for the Confed Cup but of course we will have the second bit of the cherry when we play Stars in the Cup final.”

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