Beggars can't be choosers!

It's going to be a slow rise to the top - I've offered contracts to two young South African players which will strengthen my attacking options.

One of them is a true utility player whom can cover all midfield positions forward, from semi professional side Phiva Young Stars.

The other is a more conventional forward transferring in from ASD Cape Town who along with Lucky Masenya will help us build depth, as I would expect to lose at least two of my strikers during the off season.

I've sent my scouts out to check on young African starlets for under GBP15K compo, I'd like to replace one of my midfielders and my defensive midfielder if possible.

Send them forth and see what they can recommend back to me, but I have to say that I have been disappointed with the performance of my defensive midfielder, and I believe I am missing a leader in my midfield who can run the show and dictate the tempo of the match.

My Board still won't expand my scouting territory!! Grrrrr!

Yusuf Mashego wasn't able to make it through the season without receiving five yellow cards. The irony is now he will miss the Second Round SA FA Cup match against the Free State Stars.

It's a pity as he has been the most prolific of my scorers with 46 goals in 33 appearances across all competitions with an average rating of a shade over 8.

South African FA Cup - Second Round Results

NFD clubs trump PSL clubs in a strange turn of events!




The second day had more eventful matches, as an PSL club was knocked out by lowly Blackburn (RSA) and Orlando Pirates crashed out versus Ajax CT.

If the results in the 2nd Round teach us something, it is not to underestimate any opponent, because on any given day, you could get beaten by any team; and it does give me a glimmer of hope that all the teams in South Africa suffer from a lack of funds to buy quality players.

This may mean that the teams are all strangely equal, and don't have the same problems as the English EPL, where deep pockets equates to fantastic players equates to success. Because of the prohibitive cost of poaching young players from other teams, South African sides are more used to developing their own talent.

Dynamos FC play Blackburn RSA in the quarter final of the SA FA Cup. The other match ups see United FC host the Black Leopards, Ajax CT take on MP Black Aces, and FCAK meet Supersport.

Home advantage looks like a winner, and some of the games I thoughts would have been clear cut, where not so much. In my defense, having to go to penalties against Blackburn was unforeseen, but I did have my starting centre back injured before the game, Mngadi injured during the game, and both Hammers and Sithole needed to be replaced during the course of the match.

Still no movement from the Board in relation to budgets, scouting regions or junior budgets, but I have got them to agree to relay the pitch.

Thank heavens for small mercies?

I have been reading update to update, although I haven't really commented.
You needn't worry about your finances till you are doing well in your cup competitions. Truth be told, I wasn't expecting you to win this match, but penalties was your saviour.
So, you need to win the FA Cup for Champions League football, right? Or is the league the only way you can get there?

Thanks for commenting (and reading) Akash, the thread counter does tell it's own story!

I'm not sure how my finances and cash on hand compare with other clubs in the country, but I need to carefully consider every signing and contract, and endeavour to keep a very tight rein on spending. The rules of the league say that five of your match day squad (eighteen players) need to be under twenty three. As a general rule, I don't like to sign players over twenty four, so that might be why I am struggling with the sheer cost of players. The two young players I have bought in for next season were available for minimal compo (9K), but there were some big numbers showing up from other clubs (particularly Pirates and Cosmos) where we had to withdraw from talks based on the compo payable.

It was disappointing that we weren't able to win the FA Cup quarter without the penalties. I was cussing when we conceded a late goal to take the match into extra time and then penalties. To be fair, Blackburn RSA played extremely well and nearly took the game away from us. As far as I can tell, they are (in game) playing in the league below NFD, the Vodacom League Eastern Cape League, so we should have been able to put them away easily; and it also meant that Dynamos FC had the easiest run into the SA FA Cup semis from all the teams still in the competition.

I believe there is a Champions League for the African Nations, the next iteration in the real world is the 2013 CAF Champions League, which the Orlando Pirates are competing, but I can't see this competition in game? I'll need to work my way up to top of the Prem League to see whether there is another "champion league" competition first!

#60074 akash.vidyasagar : I have been reading update to update, although I haven't really commented.
You needn't worry about your finances till you are doing well in your cup competitions. Truth be told, I wasn't expecting you to win this match, but penalties was your saviour.
So, you need to win the FA Cup for Champions League football, right? Or is the league the only way you can get there?

April ‘14 review

Undefeated through month, progressing to SA FA Cup Semi in process;

Wages under budget, transfer funds now 127K after bringing two youngsters to team from competitors’ academy;

Profit made of 49K;

Board approval at 79%;

No movement on scouting areas or wages, but we are relaying pitch;

Mashego, Masabo and Onana have been impressive in training. Gomis, coming back from injury, has been less than impressive;

Still no interest in ‘Fatso Mashego

Results

12.4.14 away to Carara Kicks
Another dour match where we struggled for chances, and then struggled to take the chances that we did make. Ref saw fit to card three Dynamos players, including Mashego, meaning that he will miss the match against Prem side Free State Stars, but he was the only one to trouble the scorers, breaking through just after the break for us to record a 0-1 win.

16.4.14 away to FS Stars (2nd Round SA FA Cup)
With Mashego suspended for the match, it allowed Mseluku to start, and our fans had been disappointed with how little they had see of the twenty two year old since we had picked him up on a free in the Jan window. A somewhat feisty affair with seven cards been dished, we held a 2-0 advantage at half time through the brilliance of our strikers Mngadi and Mseluku, before Free State midfield shot a gem of a free kick into the net just after the break. Mseluku scored in refs time from a corner to give us the game 1-3.

19.4.14 home to FC Cape Town
With Mashego restored to the starting eleven, it was almost as if normal service was resumed as he scored in each half to give us an effortless 2-0 win. Key defender Gomis was injured during the match, so will miss at least the quarter final showdown against Blackburn RSA.

23.4.14 home to Blackburn Rovers RSA (Quarter final SA FA Cup)
This is now easily the most frustrating, and nervous game of my managerial career. We should have won easily, and Mashego scored early to give us the advantage. From there, the wheels fell off the cart slightly, with injuries and conditioning concerns meaning I went to my bench (which is unusual in itself) early. We then gave up a goal on ninety mins to midfielder Ngalo to send the game into extra time at one all.

Disappointingly, we were unable to gain the ascendancy in extra time, so we were suddenly lining up for the dreaded penalty shoot out. With my best penalty taker, Hammers, off injured, I felt slightly uneasy, and rallied the troops as best I could, and we escaped with 4-2 win on penalties as young left back Radebe held his nerve to slot home the winner, after Ferreira duffed his chance from number three in the line up.

Interesting, the majority of my academy side are Serbian born players who are eligible for South Africa. I just find that very odd.

In another bizarre similarity if you will...the current manager of the Dynamos in the real world is Serbian national Momcilo Medic.

With the attacking minded players hopefully sorted, I am now looking for a solid, ball retaining midfielder, or defensive midfielder as a key purchase for us next season. We are also looking at options at right back, and goalkeeper.

The goalkeeping option is purely because I now have suitors circling for Mabaso!

4.5.14

Yusuf Mashego has just scored his fiftieth goal for Dynamos, having scored in the 1-2 win over United FC. The Man of the Match recipient is also credited with the assist for the own goal scored by opposing keeper De Kock