‘Disappointed’ Hotto eager to bounce back

Golden Arrows, where three Namibian footballers plied their trade this season, was relegated from South Africa’s Premier Soccer League (PSL) on Tuesday. Defender Chris Katjiukua and midfielder Deon Hotto, who signed for Golden Arrows in January, were joined at the club by Rudolf Bester, who was on loan from Orlando Pirates, suffered the ignominy of having failed to help the club stave off relegation. Speaking to Namibian Sun yesterday, Hotto telephonically described the mood surrounding the club as quite sombre at the moment. “We are very disappointed and everybody’s head is down,” he said. “We are all waiting to hear what is next,” he added in reference to the team now having to campaign in the second tier of South African football. Arrows needed to avoid defeat against AmaZulu on Tuesday but succumbed to a solitary goal scored by Ayanda Dlamini in the 81st minute to be officially relegated; having spent most of the season languishing at the bottom of the PSL log. Of the three Namibians only Bester , who was a 46th minute substitute, played any part in the match with Hotto out of action following an ankle injury while Katjiukua only recently returned after a spell on the sidelines due to ill health. The game was Bester’s 17th appearance for Arrows in the PSL having scored three goals prior to the club’s final PSL game on Saturday. Bester also appeared in two Telkom Knockout Cup matches for the Durban club; scoring once. Katjiukua only managed three games before illness laid him low while Hotto played in eight matches during the season. It is not clear whether all three will continue playing for Arrows next season with Hotto stating that a few teams has shown interest in him. “From my side, there are two PSL teams that want me but the owner [Mato Madlala] told me she doesn’t want me to go… I think I’m still young and to repay them for having faith in me, I will go down with them [Arrows]. “I’m sure I can still learn more and help the team bounce back,” he said. The midfielder goes on to describe his experience playing in the PSL as very educational, even though his team has now been relegated. “Playing here [in the PSL] is very nice but tough as well. You have to be very smart because the game is much quicker compared to back home,” he explains. “And I can say there is big difference from the Hotto who played in Namibia compared to now,” he states. Arrows will bring their PSL curtain down with a clash against Orlando Pirates at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday. Most productive Namibia had about 12 players signed to clubs in the PSL this season with only striker Henrico Botes, midfielders Ronald Ketjijere and Heinrich Isaacks, and defender Willem Mwedihanga joining Bester in having gotten into double figures in terms of appearances. AmaZulu’s Mwedihanga made his 13th appearance against Arrows on Tuesday while Isaacks played his 19th game when Maritzburg United upset the form book by beating Bidvest Wits 1-0. Ketjijere could not help University of Pretoria to avoid a 1-0 defeat to Kaizer Chiefs during his 22nd start for AmaTuks. Botes, who appears to out injured at Platinum Stars, has notched up 15 games in the league for the Rustenburg outfit while playing four matches each in the MTN8 and Telkom Knockout Cup; tournaments that Stars won. Goalkeeper Virgil Vries has six appearances for Maritzburg in various competitions while Larry Horaeb played eight times for AmaZulu before injury forced him off. Pineas Jacob (two games) and Sadney Urikhob (three games) only turned out for AmaZulu during the first leg of the league while Petrus Shitembi did not feature for the club as he was not registered. The PSL will come to an end this Saturday.