This season was definitely very different to the first, it started off similarly actually with me being on the bench and not getting any game time for the first half of the season, but things changed dramatically in the second half of the season.

The coach gave me a chance to play against Cape Town City and I managed to start every game from then until the end of the season. It felt great to be a consistent starter and to see all the hard work and patience finally paying off. 

I played 11 games this season, starting nine of those in a row. Last season I played six times but only started 1 of those. So minutes wise, I played 805mins this season compared to 162mins last season. 

Yes, the games I managed to play recently helped me to grow in confidence and maturity and that will certainly prepare me well for next season. Hopefully I can translate this game time into more minutes next season and contribute to the team’s success. 

For me personally, I don’t see the Diski Challenge as a stepping stone but rather as an opportunity to stay fit and sharp. I spent two seasons in the National First Division (NFD) (now Glad Africa Championship) which I think is a much higher level than Diski Challenge, so although I think the Diski provides a great platform for first team players to get game time, I wouldn’t call it a stepping stone. 

I really enjoyed partnering with Tebza (Teboho Mokoena) in the midfield during the final 10 games. He is a great player who can pretty much do anything. I think we work well together as I don’t mind doing a lot of the dirty work and then giving him the ball to take us forward. The same can be said for Jamie Webber, Sipho Mbule and Moses Waiswa who are all incredibly talented. They have all, also helped me to grow in confidence by encouraging me when I do well but also letting me know when I need to do better. 

This season was a bit of a rollercoaster for our team with Covid-19 and injuries often disrupting our momentum. That being said, I don’t think it’s a good excuse for where we finished considering where we were at the half way mark. Most teams struggled with covid-19 cases forcing them to make changes. The only difference was that we didn’t have the depth that other teams with bigger budgets do, so we’ve had to rely on younger players to provide an impact. Going forward I think this will benefit us greatly. 

I feel like we should have and could have finished top three. There were so many small but possibly game changing moments throughout the season that make you kick yourself when you look back at them. But it is always easier to say this in hind-sight, the important thing is to make it count in the moment, and next season we will have to be more critical. 

I would like to plead with all South Africans to take this pandemic seriously. Having contracted covid myself, it is very real and can be destructive. Always take the necessary precautions such as wearing a mask, sanitizing and maintaining social distance. The only way we can beat this is together. 

Jesse Donn SuperSport United Football Club Midfielder