Dimitar Pantev relishes challenge at struggling Richards Bay

Richards Bay head coach Dimitar Pantev is relishing the challenge to turn around the club's fortunes amid a winless start to the 2026/27 Betway Premiership campaign.

The Bulgarian mentor, whose proposed appointment at fellow topflight side Marumo Gallants collapsed, took over the reins last month, succeeding the resigned Ronnie Gabriel.

However, he is yet to oversee the Natal Rich Boys in the dugout as he was absent in the drubbing to Mamelodi Sundowns on Tuesday, owing to work permit issues which are believed to have been ironed out.

With the KwaZulu-Natal club precariously sitting in 15th place with three points accumulated from eight outings, Pantev is unfazed by the task at hand, outlining a clear mandate to secure consecutive wins to restore confidence.

“My expectations are really high, this is a big challenge for me to be here, one of the toughest leagues in Africa, everyone likes to compete and every team can beat other teams,” said the new Richards Bay boss.

"So, it's also a challenge for me to prove myself at this level. Firstly, I want to correct our performances, we need to win some matches in a row and to come back with more confidence.

"It's normal that young guys after some bad results in row, psychologically they are not strong enough. But they showed me during the training process that they have ambition and they want to go up.

"They have to play football on a higher level and they have to play big matches like the one against Mamelodi Sundowns.

Pantev will begin his rescue mission with a trip to newly promoted side Kruger United at Mbombela Stadium on Saturday, 31 October - this after a Carling Knockout Cup round of 16 clash away to Sekhukhune United.

Hlayisani Magoro

Editorfr, en

Football journalist from South Africa covering African football news, exclusive stories and key events while sharing insights with passionate fans of the game.

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