Kadodia expects new signings at Maritzburg

Maritzburg United chairman Farook Kadodia says he is hoping for “six or seven” new arrivals at the club in the coming transfer window in what will be an overhaul of the squad under coach Eric Tinkler.

Tinkler masterminded a reversal in fortunes for the side, taking them from relegation candidates to the top eight, with the KwaZulu-Natal club going into the Gauteng bio-bubble in fifth position before falling away.

"We will definitely beef up the squad. We want to have a team that is as competitive as possible and to keep on challenging, whether it's in the cup or a strong top eight position in the league,” Kadodia told his club’s website.

"We need six or seven new players. Our squad is quite thin and you must understand that Siyanda Xulu left, Miguel Timm, Gabriel Nyoni and Yusuf Jappie are no longer part of the squad, so that has left a bit of a hole.

"We would like to cement our position every season in the top five, that is our goal. Then something can be seen for all our investment. At the moment it's tough to attract a sponsor because it’s difficult when there are regular fights against relegation."

There has been speculation over the future of a number of Maritzburg stars, including defender Rushine de Reuck, who had an excellent 2019-20 campaign.

"We will make every effort to keep our best players, that’s our policy. But we also don’t want to stand in the way of players who feel they want to advance their careers elsewhere.”

Kadodia praised the work done by Tinkler and the squad, but says they now need to build on that progress.

"It was a good turnaround, and all parties played a role and a good job was done. From the board’s side, we fully supported the coach, quite a few new signings were made.

“And what was important in fighting relegation [at the end of the previous season] was to have a complete commitment from the fans.

"And the whole brand also grew stronger; the fact that we went to the Telkom Knockout final was also evidence of the work which has been done. We were very happy with the league position."