Kerr ready to lead TTM to glory

TTM coach Dylan Kerr has finally received his work permit and will sit on the bench in Saturday’s Nedbank Cup final against Chippa United, where he is confident his side can pull off a victory at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein.

YOUR THOUGHTS AHEAD OF THE NEDBANK CUP FINAL?

It is a cup final, so league form goes out the window. The players are excited and wanting to impress. This week we have had training sessions with no injures, which is almost unheard of. It’s an important game for the club and players, it could be the one and only chance for these players to reach a cup final. Our opponents have got a couple of good results behind them and have a new coach [in Vladislav Heric]. For me it is a privilege, I’m very honoured to be in this country, 30 years after I played in a cup final [with Arcadia Shepherds]. Especially after last season, where we lost in the semifinal while I was at Baroka. Everybody involved in the club, the staff and the players, we have got something to achieve. I told the players, no-one remembers the runners-up and losers, don’t be one of them when it comes to eight o’clock on Saturday night.

YOU ARE COMING OFF AN EXCELLENT 2-1 LEAGUE WIN OVER KAIZER CHIEFS ON TUESDAY …

We have the disadvantage of one day’s fewer training because we played yesterday. But we have put in a good performance, which was very successful. We must look forward to the game and create history. I think this is the first time it [the Nedbank Cup] would have been won by a team in the Limpopo province.

BUT THE SIDE SHOWED PLENTY OF GUTS IN THAT CHIEFS WIN …

I have been preaching to the players that they must play like they every game. It doesn’t always work, the added pressure of them wanting to be selected on Saturday gave us a very good showing. I want that performance replicated, but even better on Saturday. You don’t have to motivate anybody for a final. I have played in cup finals and it is not about cash, it is about winning a trophy and writing your name in South Africa’s history books. We just have to think about winning and nothing else.

YOU MUST BE DELIGHTED TO HAVE FINALLY GOT YOUR WORK PERMIT SO YOU CAN SIT ON THE BENCH IN BLOEMFONTEIN?

I have been here just under three months, though the delay in the work permit was due to certain wording in my contract that I did not want included. I don’t think this club has ever got a work permit for a foreign player before. The hassles we had to go through … we had to work so hard to get all the documents together. It is nice to be finally on the bench. But I must give credit to [assistant coaches] Mpho [Maleka] and David [Mathebula], and the learning they have had in the PSL … I have been able to be in the stand and trust them with relaying all the information to the players.

YOU SEEM TO HAVE MADE A BIG DIFFERENT AT TTM, CAN YOU CAP IT WITH A TROPHY AT THE WEEKEND?

I have been brought up in football in the correct way in how things in a football club should be. And those things are trust and team spirit. My first season at Black Leopards I had that. At Baroka too. It has been a big improvement coming to TTM, and it has been enjoyable going to work every morning and not being interfered with and told I should do this or that. I go to training every day and work with good players, and when I leave I am happy with what we have achieved. I am worried I will get labelled as a coach who just tries to keep teams in the PSL, but I am going to prove a lot of people wrong and make sure that next season, this team gets better.