Richards Bay head coach Ronnie Gabriel praised the composure of his youthful squad following their crucial 2-0 victory over SuperSport United.
The result lifted the Natal Rich Boyz to eighth place in the DStv Premiership, finishing the season on 33 points.
“We started the season with a lot of youngsters, and we also ended with a lot of them. Many [graduated from] DDC [DStv Diski Challenge],” Gabriel said.
“We knew as the season progressed in terms of adaptation, level of competition and progress of loading, they would get used to the level of competition in this league and would be able to show that they can compete every week.
“It was a good ending to the season and we came to that game, we didn’t think about the top eight, to be honest, and where this result will take us because we are in a different stage of building up the group that we got.
“We wanted to come and have a well-oiled performance and if it took us high up the league, then so be it and we are happy about it.”
However, eighth place – and with it a spot in next season’s MTN8 tournament – is not yet guaranteed.
Richards Bay’s qualification hinges on the final outcome of the remaining fixture between SuperSport United and Golden Arrows, which resumes on Thursday at 12 noon at Lucas Moripe Stadium.
The match will restart from the second half, and the odds heavily favour Richards Bay retaining their position. For Golden Arrows to leapfrog them, they must score six goals in the remaining 45 minutes without conceding – a scenario that seems highly improbable.
Still, Gabriel and his team must wait with bated breath, knowing their fate lies out of their hands. Despite the uncertainty, the coach is confident in the progress his side has made.