Eric Tinkler downplays Sekhukhune title credentials amidst flying start | OneFootball

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Tinkler plays down Sekhukhune league title chances

Photo: Alche Greeff/ BackPagePix

Sekhukhune United head coach Eric Tinkler says it’s still early for his team to be considered Betway Premiership title contenders at this stage.

Babina Noko have had an impressive start to the 2025/26 campaign, having won five of their opening six league outings, while drawing the other one.

The Limpopo club currently tops the Betway Premiership standings with 16 points accumulated, but the Sekhukhune mentor is not getting ahead of himself.

“I think it’s still early days, it’s only six games into the league. There is still a very long road, and I warned the players about complacency because we started well, we got 16 points from our first six games but now I understand, you’re a target,” said Tinkler.

“You’re going to have to raise your level, you’re going to have to work even harder than what you did in the first cycle. We are going into a second cycle of five games. Can we maintain? Can we be consistent? Can we produce the same performances?

“Can we have the same energy? The same intensity, the same desire, the same work ethic, the same determination, the same sacrifice?

Tinkler went on to stress that winning the league requires consistency and sacrifice, highlighting Mamelodi Sundowns’ recent dominance.

“I gave them [my players] an example of Sundowns. They won the league eight years in a row, you think that’s hard? You think it’s hard now because you won five games in a row? Try and win the league eight times in a row you will see how much sacrifice you have to make,” he added.