We need players who play anywhere - Tembo on why SuperSport United signed Rayners

SuperSport United head coach Kaitano Tembo says he is against the idea of having a large squad as he prepares for next season.

The Zimbabwean tactician explained he prefers working with versatile players hence the Tshwane giants signed Stellenbosch FC's utility attacker Iqraam Rayners on a pre-contract.

Rayners is set to join Matsatsantsa at the end of the current season and Tembo explained the 24-year-old can play on either flank much like strikers, Bradley Grobler and Evans Rusike.

“We play with a front three and when you look at it, Bradley can play anywhere in that front three and the same applies to Rusike, they are not just strikers," Tembo told Power FM according to The Citizen.

"We need players who are able to play anywhere because it helps, even in the midfield. For example, Aubrey Modiba can play on the left-wing, he can play in midfield and he can play left-back. He will always be important to the team. "

South Africa under-23 international Teboho Mokoena, who is a box-to-box midfielder, is expected to fill the void left by midfield maestro Dean Furman with the latter having relocated back to the United Kingdom (UK).

"We also have Teboho Mokoena who can play a sitting role – the role that we call the Dean Furman role – and he can play an attacking role," he continued.

"That is what we are trying to have in the team so that we don’t have a huge squad because sometimes having a huge [squad] can cause a lot of problems. If you can have players who can play multiple roles, it helps a lot."

Tembo is in his second season as a Matsatsantsa head coach having reached two cup finals and won one of those, but he insisted that he is still learning.

“As a coach, you never really know where you are going to end up," the former SuperSport academy coach added.

"But for me at the moment, this is my second season as a head coach and I want to use this opportunity to develop myself and improve as much as I can because I think I am still a bit of a novice in coaching but I think in time.

"I will be able to think about other things but right now I need to focus on SuperSport. I still have not achieved much in terms of being a head coach."

The coronavirus pandemic has led to the suspension of the current PSL campaign since mid-March 2020.