WINDHOEK – As pressure is slowly mounting at the top of the MTC Premiership log, African Stars mentor Woody Jacobs, is refusing to play down his team’s chances of winning the coveted league title, saying despite Sunday’s goalless draw against LHU Blue Waters, the Reds still stand a good chance of clawing their way back into title contention.
Jacobs says nagging injuries among some of his key players are partly to blame for the team’s inconsistency and lack of goals, but believes his squad can cope with the pressure and expectations going into the final stretch of the competition. With some of the club’s loyal supporters baying for his blood and accusing him of not having a settled starting line-up, while others believe the team has lost its competitive edge, this week Jacobs shrugged off the criticism and maintains he is the coach and therefore will decide alone on whatever positional changes he deems necessary. “We have a big squad and if some players are injured, I have to bring in another player in that position. Do they want me to field an injured player who can’t even kick a ball or what are they trying to imply? I know the supporters are disappointed and desperately want to see some positive results, but they must also be patient and give the boys time to pick up the pieces.”
“We are now sitting 7 points behind log leaders Tigers and it’s not an easy position for someone who is contesting the title, but mathematically we still stand a good chance and will have to fight hard and start collecting maximum points going forward,” added a defiant Jacobs.