All eyes will be on the newly appointed Black Leopards coach Patrick Aussems to see if he can transform the fortunes of Lidoda Duvha next season.
The 55-year-old former Belgian international says he has been to Mzansi in the past and played friendly matches against Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs during his stint as the coach of Tanzanian club Simba SC.
He did not hesitate to sign on the dotted line when the Limpopo-based side put the coaching offer on the table.
“Since that visit to South Africa, I kept an eye on the PSL, and I can confidently say that it’s the best league in Africa. I have seen the Egyptian and Morrocan leagues, but neither comes close to this league. It’s a good thing for a coach to come and coach here in terms of the infrastructures and professionalism,” said Aussems.
He landed in SA on Sunday and is aware that he joined a team that was battling relegation last season. He signed a three-year deal, but he was also made aware that the Venda-based side made four coaching changes in the 2019-20 season.
“I’m coming here with my philosophy and expectations, and for that reason, I need some time to settle into my new role. In football, you can never know what can happen, but I have a lot of experience of coaching in Africa,” he said.
Aussems worked in seven countries in Africa at AC Leopards of DR Congo, Simba of Tanzania, and Al Hilal of Sudan, to mention just a few.
But now that he finds himself in SA, he is not coaching a championship material or a team that is expected to win trophies. “Here, it’s not even one of the top four or six teams in the league. But if I stay here for the three years that I signed for, I will try to reach that level,” Aussems said.
His target is to finish in the top half of the log, and he pleaded for patience and space from management to allow him to execute his duties.
“I want to play attractive football that will make the fans happy. But the most important thing is to get results,” Aussems.said,
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