New Bay coach Pantev eager to prove himself in PSL
New Richards Bay coach Dimitar Pantev, who’s never coached in SA before, is eager to prove himself in the PSL but admits he needs time to implement his coaching philosophy, having only arrived last month.
“This is a big challenge for me, being here in one of Africa’s toughest leagues. Everyone wants to compete, and any team can lose to anyone, so it’s also a challenge for me to prove myself at this level.”
Bay, alongside Marumo Gallants, are the only teams that haven’t registered a win in the Betway Premiership this season. Natal Boys have three points, having managed three draws and suffered five defeats in eight league fixtures so far.
Pantev, who is yet to be in the dugout pending a work permit, has prioritised building a run of wins, believing it will boost his players’ confidence, which he feels has taken a knock amid their slump.
“Step by step, firstly, I want to correct our performances. We need to win some matches in a row and boost our confidence. It’s normal for a young squad that, when the results are not forthcoming, psychologically, they become weak,” said Pantev, who only replaced Ronnie Gabriel a few weeks ago.
The 50-year-old Bulgarian mentor, who has previously worked for clubs in Cameroon, Botswana and Tanzania, didn’t hide that he needed time to implement his style of play at the KZN side, having arrived when the campaign was already underway.
“It’s not easy to come when the season has already started. I didn’t have a say in the players that were signed; most of these guys are new to me, and they need time to adapt to my philosophy, and I also need time to adapt to the new environment.
“I am happy with what I’ve seen so far … the players are responding well to what I am teaching them. The recent international break also helped us a lot because it was three weeks.”
Pantev will likely have secured his work permit before Bay face Sekhukhune United in the Carling Knockout first round at Peter Mokaba Stadium on Sunday (6pm).
Saturday: Arrows v Chippa, King Zwelithini (3pm); Polokwane v Siwelele (6pm).
Sunday: Kruger v AmaZulu, Mbombela (3pm); Sekhukhune v Bay, Peter Mokaba (6pm).
Tuesday: Sundowns v Marumo, Loftus Versfeld (7pm); Chiefs v Galaxy, FNB (7pm); Pirates v Milford, Orlando (7pm).