Camperdown coach targets efficient Manning Cup campaign

CAMPERDOWN HEAD coach Karume Huie said while most fans would call his team’s style of play ‘ugly’, he is more focused on ensuring the best result from each game of this year’s Manning Cup.

“We want to be the team that we don’t allow people to play their style of football,” Huie explained.

“We want to be very competitive in that aspect and we want to be the team that even if you call it ugly, at the end of the day, it is really uncomfortable for the opponents.

“It is what can get us the results,” he added.

He explained it has a been slow start to their preseason training but he has been impressed by the work level he has seen during their training sessions.

He said the priority is to ensure the players understand their roles within the team and have a deeper understanding of the game as they continue to develop.

“It has been slow but it has been positive in the sense that we try to encourage what we have. We might not be big in numbers but we try to keep ourselves positive and encourage the youngsters to come out.”

Huie is aiming for a deep run in the Manning Cup.

He said Camperdown has built a reputation of producing quality players and has been encouraging his players to play with the mindset of winning every game.

“What our plan is for this season is to be competitive in every game. Once we’re in that range then we should be able to get to the next round,” he said.

“That is what we have been telling the youngsters that they should think about getting the three points, think about their performance and once they do that, expect good things to happen.”

However, he admitted Camperdown does face a major issue – losing quality players to other schools.

He said while the management staff try their best to persuade players to stay at Camperdown, it is not unusual to see key players choosing to represent more reputable schools on a yearly basis.

“What we have to do is try and encourage the players because if a student decides to leave, there is so much you can do and nothing more. We have had that challenge over the years where we have students who could have made this team much more competitive but have chosen to go elsewhere.”

Camperdown have been drawn in Group D of the Manning Cup where they will face Calabar, Haile Selassie, Kingston Technical, St Andrew Technical, and Vauxhall high schools.