Sekhukhune United must stay ruthless after Orlando Pirates win in the Betway Premiership opener, says Tinkler

Sekhukhune United’s technical team is building a balanced and competitive side, and coach Eric Tinkler has urged his troops to remain consistent.

Babina Noko began their Betway Premiership campaign with a 1-0 victory over Orlando Pirates at Orlando Stadium on Saturday afternoon. As such, they will take a huge morale boost into their second league clash against TS Galaxy at the New Peter Mokaba Stadium on Wednesday night (7.30pm).

Sekhukhune are eager to complete a double over Galaxy in the space of a fortnight, having come from two goals down to win 3-2 during their MTN8 quarter-final clash. Tinkler's side have ample reason to believe they are heading in the right direction this season, as they have shown great character against both Galaxy and Pirates.

“Yes, it was very important to start the league with a win, and we did well to come back against Galaxy (in the MTN8),” Tinkler said.

“Truth be told, I think Galaxy had six or so players who weren’t registered in the MTN8. So, I think the team we are going to face on Wednesday will be different.

“This game was always going to be a character test of where we are. The character the guys showed in the MTN8 came out again in this match.

“We are creating a well-disciplined and cultured team. Beyond the tactical aspects, the players’ work ethic at training and on match day has to match.

“We have to transfer what we do at training to match day, and I am seeing that, which is a positive.”

While Sekhukhune are riding high at the moment after back-to-back wins, Tinkler is not getting carried away. The former Bafana Bafana coach knows there is still a long way to go before the team can truly be at their best and ready to challenge for their first piece of silverware as a club.

With the team also in the MTN8 semi-final — where they will face Stellenbosch in the first leg at Danie Craven Stadium on Saturday — Tinkler says they must be consistent across the board.

“We’ve got a game in three days (against Galaxy), so if we don’t win that, then this result means nothing,” Tinkler said.

“It’s about building on that — without becoming complacent. Consistency in performances is what’s key.”

One of the players who has shown flashes of consistency is new centre-back Medupi Thokolo.

The 22-year-old received the Player of the Match award against Pirates, having built on the foundation he laid in his debut against Galaxy in the MTN8. Tinkler admitted he is happy with Thokolo’s progress, having expected him to first crawl before walking after being signed from NFD side Casric Stars only a few weeks ago.

“I think it was three weeks ago when he played for Casric in the play-offs, and when I watched the two games against Cape Town City, I could see his defensive abilities,” he said.

“I wasn’t entirely sure about his ability on the ball, because they play a completely different brand of football from what we want. He joined us, and he’s a young player.

"The CEO (Jonas Malatji) spoke briefly about him, and I was happy to sign him. In the beginning, he was supposed to be a progression player, but after the first week of training, I saw him as a starter.

“He shows a lot of maturity for his young age, he’s very comfortable on the ball, and does all the right things. He made a few mistakes tonight, but that’s expected.”