With their Premier Soccer League status hanging by a thread, Platinum Stars coach Roger de Sa says that players can do better when offered bonuses.
The Dikwena boss is concerned with their failure to turn the corner as they remain winless in the second round of the Premier Soccer League despite reinforcing their squad during the January transfer window.
Stars are left with six matches to decide their PSL fate and will have to fight for their status in the remaining league matches.
According to De Sa, the former MTN8 Cup and Telkom Knockout Cup champions have offered the players a R10 000 bonus for a win and half of the money for a draw, but no cash reward for a defeat.
The Phokeng-based club is rooted at the bottom of the 16-team standings with 17 points, but the ex-Bidvest Wits, Orlando Pirates and Ajax Cape Town coach remains upbeat about their survival.
"I'm a believer that players will play for a bonus, because it adds to their lifestyle [financially]. So look, the club didn't have a bonus structure before and at least now there is something,” said De Sa to the Sowetan.
"We have to try anything, just reward them for good performances and results," said the coach.
"It's exactly what it is; if you do well you get a bonus and if you don't do well, you don't get a bonus," added the former goalkeeper.
Speaking about who and will not get the bonuses, the ex-Mamelodi Sundowns and Moroka Swallows goalkeeper added that only players who make the 18-man squad will be eligible for bonuses.
"If you are in the team or not, you (still) get your salary. I think you want to create a bit of competition and an incentive,” he explained.
"If you are not in the team, you stay at home and party all weekend. If you are in the team you go away and play, but at least now if you go and play, you come back with something," he added.
"We've had a lot of games where we should have won and we didn't. All we have to do is continue to play well," he concluded.
Dikwena will meet Baroka FC in their next league match at home on Wednesday, April 4 at 19:30.
