Kapini salutes coach

Highlands Park goalkeeper Tapuwa Kapini has explained how coach Owen da Gama inspired players who were low in confidence early in the season.

Highlands, who were relegated from the PSL last season, secured automatic promotion with an emphatic 5-1 victory over University of Pretoria at Makhulong Stadium on Saturday.

But, after not getting an ideal start to the campaign, the Lions of the North won promotion with four matches to spare.

They won their first two matches of the campaign against Jomo Cosmos and Royal Eagles, but that was followed by three straight defeats to Tuks, Tshakuma Tsha Madzivhandila and Mbombela United.

That’s when Da Gama, who had parted ways with SAFA after serving as a Bafana Bafana assistant coach and as head coach of the Under-23s, was roped in to take over from Thierry Mulonzo. Da Gama is yet to lose a match since taking over and deservedly won promotion on Saturday.

“When coach Owen came in, we had lost three games in a row. We did not believe in ourselves as players, but with coach Owen it was just unbelievable. – KickOff.