John Maduka speaks on ripple effect of Diski team expulsion

Due to the FIFA ban, the KZN outfit has not been able to register new players and this left the reserve league side short on numbers to honour the opening six fixtures, leading to expulsion.

Maduka explained how this is going to hurt Royal AM going forward.

"You are right because match fitness is very, very important so now it's unfortunate that we can't take part on the DDC team. So, we‘ll rely on friendlies and friendlies most of the time you know you don't find the opponents that you need,” Maduka said.

“It's not really competitive like a league game like this, it becomes very difficult then what do you do? You bring those players and you try them on a cup game like this and you are out of the competition.

“It's a risk, so it's not good but that's how the situation is, there's nothing that we can do. We have to find a way or we keep on what we've been trying to do, find friendlies, so that these players you know have game time.

“You said something very important because without game time, you saw even in the game there was decision making that was not right. Sometimes those things happen because this player hasn't been playing most of the time.

“So, it's really important for them to play games and I think what we'll do is to try and make sure that maybe not introduce all of them at the same time but try to introduce them bit by bit."

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The sanction by the world governing body is in its second year now, but Maduka remains positive that his charges will soon pick up a victory.

Royal AM had played four draws before losing 3-0 to Cape Town City in the Carling Knockout on Saturday night. 

"Most of the players that played today, it's their first game so it was expected that somewhere, somehow, they will make mistakes. It's like the player that we've been using in the four games that we drew,” he added.

“So, like I said there's so much that we saw that is positive, yes there are negatives and we'll try to work on those so that we can be able to improve because we don't have a choice.

“I think it was very, very good or very important for us to give them a chance on this platform and see how they can do it and what they can be able to offer the team and we are happy with certain things and of course certain things you know that there's room for us for improvement.

“League games are different, cup games most of the time, you play open because at the end of the day, the game has to end on that particular day."