Yusuf Bunting is enjoying a ‘new breath of life’ at Highlands Park. He is currently on a season-long loan deal at Highlands from Kaizer Chiefs as he hopes to get senior team game-time under his belt and catch the eye of his mother-club selectors.
Over the years, the 22-year-old striker has been a prominent figure for Chiefs' reserve team, but it was last season where he had arguably his best campaign, where he inspired Amakhosi to the inaugural MultiChoice Diski Shield by scoring five goals - making that an average of a goal every match.
However, in his new home, he's featured twice for the Lions of the North so far - in the Absa Premiership and Diski Challenge against the Glamour Boys on September 24.
“It's been good being here because I am learning a lot,” Bunting explained.
“I’m here to get some game-time, and hopefully that will happen and it will then allow me to come back (to Chiefs) stronger. Thanks to God that I made my PSL debut (against Baroka) with Highlands Park, now I am looking forward to getting more games. We are all getting along well at the club, because we have the same goal, which is to stay in the PSL and do well.”
Bunting admits that he was filled with a rollercoaster of emotions when he came up against his mother-club on Heritage day at a packed Makhulong Stadium.
“There were lot of emotions that were involved coming into the game against Chiefs, hence I even asked the coaches if I could come and get some game-time,’’ he said. “You know that whenever you play against your home-club there’s a lot of emotions but you’ve got to push and make sure to put in the work shit. After all, this is football.”
The Tembisa-based club is coached by Owen Da Gama, someone who has an eye of nurturing and polishing raw talent especially after leading the Under-23 national team (Amaglug-glug) during the 2016 Olympics’ games – where they recorded a famous 0-0 draw against hosts Brazil.
The club's Young Player of Season Siphiwe Mahlangu, who’s in his maiden top-flight football season, has been a force to be reckoned with so far. Hence, Bunting reckons he's in safe hands.
“Coach Owen has taken me under his shoulder,” he insisted. “He's taught me a lot so far. Hence, I hope I can get a couple of goals and then go back to where I came from.”
"The worst bit is the uncontrollable coughing," says Andrew O'Dwyer, who is recovering after being infected with the new coronavirus following a skiing trip to Italy in late February. "I've had worse flu, without a doubt - but I wouldn't want to catch it again," he says during his self-isolation at home in south-west London. Despite having type 1 diabetes, Andrew says having the virus "isn't anything to worry about for me personally". He adds that the fever he experienced is "no different to normal flu-type symptoms". "I've not been concerned," he says. The severity of symptoms can vary widely among people. Those who are older and have pre-existing medical conditions (such as asthma, diabetes, heart disease) are more likely to become severely ill and can need hospital treatment. There have been 10 coronavirus-related deaths so far in the UK. Andrew was told the virus wasn't circulating in the resort ...
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