Arendse praises squad for helping SuperSport United survive relegation fight

Photo Credit -SuperSport United.

SuperSport United coach Andre Arendse has praised his players after they officially avoided being relegated from the Betway Premiership following a 1-1 draw against Golden Arrows at the Lucas Moripe Stadium on Wednesday.

In the fixture, which was a continuation of a match that was initially played on February 23 but was abandoned due to a power failure, saw goals from Christian Saile for SuperSport and Velemseni Ndwandwe for Arrows count with only 45 minutes being played.

“I just have to look at the history of this club, the starting 11’s that this club has produced over so many years, even going back to when I played. The league titles, the cup triumphs, and the many celebrations over the years, put the word out there that SuperSport United are a team that can compete and win,” Arendse said as quoted by SABC Sports.

“But for some reason, we never looked like a team that could do that this season. Before we knew it, we found ourselves in a situation in which we were fighting and scrapping for results. It is what it is, and this is what it came down to, and the players found a way through.”

On rumours that the club has been sold, the former Bafana Bafana goalkeeper said: “This is a genuine answer, the only thing I can tell you is that those things are completely out of my hands. I have nothing to do with those boardroom issues. Did it have a negative effect on the team when the news broke?

“Of course, it’s natural. You’ve understandably got people thinking about their futures, their families, and their livelihoods. My job was to try and take that pressure and stress from the players.”

The draw kept SuperSport 14th on the log with 30 points from 28 matches while Arrows remained 12th with 31 points.