DStv Premiership newbies Richards Bay FC have assembled a solid squad that will compete in the DStv Diski Challenge.
This is according to the club's general manager James Dlamini, who also revealed that 100 per cent of their squad will be playing in the DStv Diski Challenge for the first time.
The Natal Rich Boyz were promoted to the DStv Premiership after winning automatic promotion on the final day of last season.
After winning the Motsepe Foundation Championship, which was called Glad Africa Championship, in the previous season, they were then forced to form a reserve team that will take part in the Diski Challenge.
The club technical team consist of new faces in coaching, but they are not new in the football circles as they have been around and some have played in the Premier Soccer League [PSL].
Nkosenhle Ngema is the club head coach and will be assisted by Sboniso Gumude (former now-defunct Bidvest Wits and Platinum Stars player).
Former AmaZulu goalkeeper Mbongeni Mzimela is the club's goalkeeper coach.
Sbusiso Msomi, another former Platinum Stars and AmaZulu player, is the team manager.
Dlamini said they are in the league to compete.
He said: “We are done with the selection and the players have been training together preparing for the new season.
“It is our first season and we are looking at developing these players and have at least two of them in the first team by the end of the season. Most of them are from rural areas. We took players from Zululand to say thank you to the community that has been supporting us."
Dlamini added: “We want to compete, our coaches are former professionals, we do not want to be the whipping boys in the Diski Challenge when the season starts.”
Dlamini also revealed that they have not finalised where they will play their home matches. They are still negotiating with two districts as they are looking at playing in the Zululand area.