Santos happy to keep winning ugly
Santos have winning ugly down to a fine art, but that does not bother inspirational skipper Musa Otieno in the least ahead of Friday's Nedbank Cup last-16 tie against Moroka Swallows in Germiston.
The Cape side have thrown the book of entertainment out the window since Botswana-born David Bright took over the hot seat, but the results have been nothing short of outrageous and that, Otieno says, is all that matters for now.
The towering Kenyan heads the return of Santos's big guns for this encounter, having missed last week's scrappy 1-0 Absa Premiership win over Bloemfontein Celtic along with star midfielder Mogogi Gabonamong and nippy striker Romano Scott.
"I know there's been some talk about the way we're playing these days, but look how far we have come as a result," said Otieno on Thursday.
"We are not at all fazed by the criticism. The same doomsayers would have had a field day had we opted for all-out entertainment and landed in the relegation zone. We are doing what is best for the club at this point in time, and we can always look to adding a touch of flair here and there once we have achieved our objectives."
Santos are in a great position to make a late charge to the league title and, as Otieno put it, they will look to get as far as possible in the lucrative cup competition.
Some top names have already fallen by the wayside, but the People's Team's skipper warned against complacency should they add Swallows to their impressive list of conquests since a 4-1 hammering by Free State Stars at the start of the second half of the domestic season.
"Swallows will be a difficult one, but you have to go out and beat the best to be crowned champions in any competition. The good thing is that the coach has a full complement of players to choose from and the boys are really fired up to continue on this exciting winning path. We need to remain focused and level-headed, no matter who the opposition."
Bright will need to be at his shrewdest come selection time, but it's unlikely that he will discard his workhorses for more creative flair for this sudden-death fixture.
Sebastien Bax was brilliant in the heart of defence when Celtic threatened, so it's a question whether he returns to the bench or starts the match, with Otieno pushed into a defensive midfield role as cover for the roving Gabonamong.
Whatever the format Bright decides on, there can be no faulting the tactical brilliance of this Santos team asked to play almost entirely on the counter.
"You have to give credit to the coach's planning and at the same time applaud the way in which the players have adopted the new style of play. Everyone is enjoying the results, and that means we must be doing something right, even if it is at the expense of 90 minutes of pure entertainment which, of course, is not bringing much into the bag for certain clubs in the lower end of the standings."
Swallows coach Ian Gorowa is also something of a comeback kid, having earlier this season come close to the dreaded axe at a club supported by a notoriously impatient crowd.
As Otieno pointed out, there is no substitute for positive results - and Swallows go into tonight's encounter with enough confidence after a solid few weeks on the pitch.
"That's why we're not taking anything for granted," said Otieno. "We are up against players who have salvaged their own season after a poor start, and they will also be counting on home-ground advantage."
As far as attacking prowess goes, though, it is certainly advantage Santos, for spearheading their offensive is Erwin Isaacs and Eleazar Rodgers, undoubtedly the country's most dangerous strike force.