7 months ago
75
JDR owner-coach Nditsheni Nemasisi has high hopes that they'll finally gain promotion to the Premiership this season, their sixth in the division, drawing confidence from the fact that they also spent five seasons in the third-tier.
JDR ascended to the Motsepe Foundation Championship (MFC), formerly known as the National First Division (NFD) via winning the ABC Motsepe national playoffs in 2019. Since arriving in the MFC, the Hammer Boys have never finished outside the top eight, with their worst finish being occupying the seventh spot in the 2019/20 season, their maiden in the division, while their best was fourth in two seasons (2021/22 and 2022/23).
“We've done everything we think is needed to gain promotion but luck has been the only thing lacking. This season we are praying for luck because we have a very good squad, capable of winning promotion automatically,” Nemasisi told Sowetan yesterday.
“Maybe this is finally our year because even in the ABC Motsepe League, we spent five years and won promotion in our sixth season. It's our sixth season in the NFD and we hope history will repeat itself and we gain promotion to the Premiership.”
The JDR mentor also expressed delight over Sunday's 1-0 win away to University of Pretoria, insisting they aim to be among the chasing pack all season long. Nemasisi reckons beating AmaTuks has boosted their chances of clinching promotion.
“After being unlucky against Milford [where they lost 1-0 in their second game of the season three weeks ago], we had to pick ourselves up against AmaTuks,” Nemasisi said.
“Our aim is to stay with the top teams forever...we can't allow teams to open the gap. The weekend's win at Tuks was huge because AmaTuks are a big team, so if you beat such teams, you stand a good chance to win the championship. Last season we were chasing the top teams for the better part of the season and that didn't work, so now we want to be chased from the word go.”
Results
Venda 0-0 Durban City; AmaTuks 0-1 JDR; Leruma 0-1 Upington; Milford 0-0 Spurs; Leopards 0-1 Casric; Highbury 0-1 Orbit; Kruger 1-0 Callies; Lions 0-1 Baroka
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