Thunderbirds Ladies coach confident of Hollywoodbets Super League survival

After 15 matches, the Eastern Cape side hasn’t won a game, with only one point to their name – thanks to a 3-3 draw against Durban Ladies last month. 

The team has become cannon fodder for every side in the league and has suffered 14 losses, but Matshobeni has told SABC Sport he is positive come the end of the season, they will still be standing in the elite women’s league. 

"Football is not like boxing, that's what I know. As I said before, we will fight until the last day [of the season], and I've told you that if I can get at least three [wins] – I've targeted some teams, I won't mention them," said Matshobeni.

"If I can get at least nine points – if you look at the table, it's not that bad in terms of log position, but if we can get those nine points, I'm telling you, things can be better.

"But I always have confidence that my team will [still] be here – I love this team."

Matshobeni says the reason they are in trouble is because they are rebuilding the side after they lost the bulk of their key players to other teams in the league. 

He adds they suffered the same fate last season, but managed to survive – finishing in 14th place.

"We lost maybe 95 per cent of our key players to various teams. Even here [against University of Pretoria], there was one of our players," he bemoaned.

"We lost a lot of players and we're starting new players, some are coming from regional leagues, others from Sasol [Women's League] – I think we only have three or four players that were playing with us last season, and they were not regulars.

"This season they are regulars because we don't have those players that can compete. I don't doubt them, they can play – you saw for yourself, but the stage is above them.

"But we'll soldier on, and the main problem is that we lost a lot of players, and this is not the first time. We did [experience the same] in the previous season, and survived. Now we've lost eight or nine key players, and that's why things started to crack."

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