SuperSport United head coach Kaitano Tembo believes that his side are starting to reap the rewards of a good pre-season where he could imprint his ideas on them, writes DEAN WORKMAN.

Tembo took over as head coach from Eric Tinkler at Matsatsantsa on a caretaker basis last campaign. The Zimbabwean managed to guide his side to safety and eventually ended up finishing seventh after the effects of Ajax Cape Town’s Tendai Ndoro saga.

Tembo was then handed the reins on a full-time basis at the start of the season and has managed to not only guide his team to their second successive MTN8 final, but has also overseen a positive start to their Absa Premiership campaign.

Speaking ahead of this Saturday’s MTN8 final against Cape Town City, his first final as a head coach, Tembo was asked if he was looking forward to implementing his own tactics on the side to which he responded, ‘Yes, most definitely, I think we have already done that.

‘Especially in our pre-season because in the past two seasons, we never had a proper pre-season because we were playing in the Confed Cup [Caf Confederations Cup].

‘I think I have done that, but it is still a work-in-progress because we still have a long way to go to improve tactically.

‘Though we are improving and we are getting there, it is very important that I can see those signs, I can see progress in each and every game and that’s what motivates me,’ concluded Tembo.