Dylan Kerr spurs stragglers Baroka to aim high in PSL in 2019-20

02 January 2020 - 15:11 By Nick Said
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Dylan Kerr coach of Black Leopards during the PSL Monthly Awards 30 January 2019 at PSL Offices.
Dylan Kerr coach of Black Leopards during the PSL Monthly Awards 30 January 2019 at PSL Offices.
Image: Sydney Mahlangu/ BackpagePix

New Baroka FC coach Dylan Kerr has challenged his players to show ambition to not only avoid relegation‚ but push as high up the table as they can in the 2019-20 Absa Premiership season.

Kerr has returned to South African football after a successful spell with another Limpopo side‚ Black Leopards‚ last season‚ where he was roundly praised for the way he got the team to play attractive football.

He has started training his new team‚ but may not be on the bench for Sunday’s trip away to fellow strugglers Cape Town City at Cape Town Stadium as he awaits his work permit.

Baroka sit just one point above the relegation zone and without a win at home all season.

But the Englishman believes the club should not be thinking only of survival‚ but also how high up the table they could finish‚ and challenged club chairman Khurishi Mphahlele to think likewise.

“The first thing that impressed me was the chairman’s vision and ambition. I sat with him for three hours on Tuesday and he showed me his plans for his training facility‚ which is in phase one‚ and which is fantastic‚” Kerr told TimesLIVE.

“He spoke about his ambition for the club and where he would like to be next season. But I have also challenged him and the players‚ and said‚ ‘Why wait 12 months?’

“There are still 45 points to play for. This is a tough league‚ we know that. But if you want them badly enough‚ you will get them. That will come from playing as a unit and working hard for each other.

“Lots of people are saying Baroka are a good team‚ but the position in the PSL doesn’t lie. Something has to be rectified‚ but I was in this position last year when I came to Leopards so I know what needs to be done.”

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