UNIVERSITY of Pretoria striker, Ian Chikohwa, said going to the National First Division (NFD) is not a downgrade, but a chance for him to shine.
The 21-year-old striker didn’t get game time in his first season with AmaTuks while they were still campaigning in the Premier Soccer League (PSL) as he only managed to make 10 appearances.
Chikohwa has vowed to work harder to help bring back the team to the PSL.
He said: “Going to the lower division will help me grow and be a better player. I played less games in the PSL and I’ll do whatever it takes to avoid a repeat of what happened last season.
“I believe playing in the NFD will improve other aspects of my game.”
Lack of consistency and goals are some of the reasons why the team ended up being relegated.
The Ke Yona team graduate is confident about the players management have recruited.
Said Chikohwa: “We weren’t consistent enough last season and I think that’s what killed us.
“We have our first game coming up against FC Cape Town and we want to start on a positive note. Our aim is to collect as many points as possible early to ensure we achieve our goal.
“We’ve got a young squad and with an experienced coach like Shaun Bartlett, I believe we’ll do it.”
Chikohwa revealed they’ve been working on finishing to ensure they find the back of the net regularly.
He told SunSport: “During preseason training, our focus was more on the finishing. We worked hard at creating and converting goals.
“The coach helped Golden Arrows bounce back to the PSL and that makes us believe we can also do it in our first season. Everyone in the team knows what’s expected.”
