‘Dunga’ Modiko proud to maintain UJ Ladies record

‘Dunga’, as she is commonly known, was appointed in January 2022 and proudly holds a winning record in all her season openers since then, including Sunday’s 1-0 win over newcomers University of Cape Town.

Speaking to SABC Sport, Modiko says the culture of winning a season opener is a confidence booster and is hopeful it will set them up for a strong 2025 season.

"It's a good omen for me because I don't really put too much on that, but it's just a mental note for myself that it's an opening match, which I think sets me for the entire season," said Modiko.

"For the past three seasons I've been here at UJ, I've never really missed or lost an opening match, so that's amazing in terms of how we are doing things at UJ.

"I just hope that this will continue for many, many years, even post me – whoever comes in must just believe in themselves and that the opening match really sets the tone for the entire season."

2024 top goal scorer Thato Mofoto looked to pick up from where she left off last season, but missed a penalty in the first half, and Modiko 

"These mistakes are something that maybe hampers the mind, but I trust her – 13 goals didn't come easy last season, she knows what she's supposed to be doing," she added.

"It's just that today she was trying too hard because she applied so much pressure on herself, so for me it's just to encourage her and say, 'Look, no pressure. Sometimes you don't score, but the next match you'll get all those goals you're seeking.'

"I'm actually very proud of her attitude, I think in the training sessions she was a little bit hampered by her school work, and to see her with a positive mindset today – she created and missed a penalty, but she still managed not to drop her head and continued."

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