READ: Absa Prem fixtures revealed The Lions of the North host Amakhosi at Makhulong Stadium on Sunday, August 4 (15h00) in their first game next season. "You've got to take any opening fixture you get you know, for me the stronger the better," Da Gama tells snl24.com/kickoff. "You start with Chiefs, start with Pirates, Sundowns... it's better for us you know because you learn quicker, and you grow quicker, you go to a high level quicker. "But all, every game for us is a learning curve. Whoever we play we learn and we go, and it's our second season in the PSL, and we'll continue trying to learn, and trying to grow. "So it's a good opportunity for us to learn early in the season, because Chiefs beat us in the second round, and they beat us 3-2. So it's a great opening fixture for us because we know we are going to learn. It is not the first time Highlands open with a tough fixture as last season they had to face what was termed a'baptism of fire' when they earned a 1 - 1 draw against Orlando Pirates at Orlando Stadium, thanks to an own-goal by Bucs defender Gladwin Shitolo. "Yes the opening fixture against Pirates I think we had zero shots on target, and this season [against Chiefs] we'll have a few shots on target, that is our objective, to do better than last year," Da Gama adds. "I'm welcoming the fixture very much you know, we welcome it, we are happy to be playing them." Da Gama does not agree with the belief that a club's performance in its first game of the season gives a reflection of what is to come for the rest of the campaign. "No it doesn't, it depends on your preparations, it depends on a lot of things. Some teams start bad and they end off good, some teams start good and they end off very good. So the opening fixture is not a reflection of the entire season."
Owen da Gama happy to face Kaizer Chiefs
Highlands Park coach Owen Da Gama explains why he has no problem opening the 2019/20 Absa Premiership season against Kaizer Chiefs.
READ: Absa Prem fixtures revealed The Lions of the North host Amakhosi at Makhulong Stadium on Sunday, August 4 (15h00) in their first game next season. "You've got to take any opening fixture you get you know, for me the stronger the better," Da Gama tells snl24.com/kickoff. "You start with Chiefs, start with Pirates, Sundowns... it's better for us you know because you learn quicker, and you grow quicker, you go to a high level quicker. "But all, every game for us is a learning curve. Whoever we play we learn and we go, and it's our second season in the PSL, and we'll continue trying to learn, and trying to grow. "So it's a good opportunity for us to learn early in the season, because Chiefs beat us in the second round, and they beat us 3-2. So it's a great opening fixture for us because we know we are going to learn. It is not the first time Highlands open with a tough fixture as last season they had to face what was termed a'baptism of fire' when they earned a 1 - 1 draw against Orlando Pirates at Orlando Stadium, thanks to an own-goal by Bucs defender Gladwin Shitolo. "Yes the opening fixture against Pirates I think we had zero shots on target, and this season [against Chiefs] we'll have a few shots on target, that is our objective, to do better than last year," Da Gama adds. "I'm welcoming the fixture very much you know, we welcome it, we are happy to be playing them." Da Gama does not agree with the belief that a club's performance in its first game of the season gives a reflection of what is to come for the rest of the campaign. "No it doesn't, it depends on your preparations, it depends on a lot of things. Some teams start bad and they end off good, some teams start good and they end off very good. So the opening fixture is not a reflection of the entire season."
READ: Absa Prem fixtures revealed The Lions of the North host Amakhosi at Makhulong Stadium on Sunday, August 4 (15h00) in their first game next season. "You've got to take any opening fixture you get you know, for me the stronger the better," Da Gama tells snl24.com/kickoff. "You start with Chiefs, start with Pirates, Sundowns... it's better for us you know because you learn quicker, and you grow quicker, you go to a high level quicker. "But all, every game for us is a learning curve. Whoever we play we learn and we go, and it's our second season in the PSL, and we'll continue trying to learn, and trying to grow. "So it's a good opportunity for us to learn early in the season, because Chiefs beat us in the second round, and they beat us 3-2. So it's a great opening fixture for us because we know we are going to learn. It is not the first time Highlands open with a tough fixture as last season they had to face what was termed a'baptism of fire' when they earned a 1 - 1 draw against Orlando Pirates at Orlando Stadium, thanks to an own-goal by Bucs defender Gladwin Shitolo. "Yes the opening fixture against Pirates I think we had zero shots on target, and this season [against Chiefs] we'll have a few shots on target, that is our objective, to do better than last year," Da Gama adds. "I'm welcoming the fixture very much you know, we welcome it, we are happy to be playing them." Da Gama does not agree with the belief that a club's performance in its first game of the season gives a reflection of what is to come for the rest of the campaign. "No it doesn't, it depends on your preparations, it depends on a lot of things. Some teams start bad and they end off good, some teams start good and they end off very good. So the opening fixture is not a reflection of the entire season."