SuperSport United goalkeeper Reyaad Pieterse admits that fighting for No.1 jersey has not been easy.
Pieterse, who joined Matsatsantsa at the beginning of the 2016/2017 Premier Soccer League (PSL) season from Soweto giants Kaizer Chiefs, has been embroiled in a continuous tussle with Ronwen Williams to cement his name as SuperSport’s No.1 keeper.
While Pieterse has been forced to play second fiddle to Williams for most part of his time at SuperSport, he has still gone on to make 30 league appearances and two Caf Confederation Cup appearances in just two seasons, and has enjoyed relative success.
However, despite playing 1440 minutes of league football this season, most notably due to the absence of Williams who has struggled with injury, the fight for a starting berth seems to be back on as the 26-year-old lanky keeper seems to be relishing the fight.
But while the former Shamrock Rovers goalkeeper admits that challenging Williams has been tough, both he and his teammate continue to support each other, always putting the club first.
Next Match
"Yeah, it has been very good. We've been pushing each other, but as you know results have not been coming our way and the focus is on helping the team," Pieterse told Vodacom Soccer.
"But of course, it's not easy when you have two goalkeepers fighting for the same jersey. But at the end of the day we support each other and encourage each other through the good and bad times, you know," he concluded.
With Kaitano Tembo now at the helm and with a busy schedule ahead to contend with, Pieterse could still have a big part to play in SuperSport’s determination to rise up the PSL ladder as well as go one better than they did last year by conquering Africa.
Pieterse though, will need to continue to work hard and be ready to be called upon as next up for SuperSport is a tough encounter against Polokwane City, and Tembo will be expecting whoever he chooses between the sticks to be at their very best in what can only be described as a must-win encounter.
