Cape Town - Polokwane City manager Kosta Papic is unlikely to let recent accolades cloud his vision of ensuring top flight survival for the club.
Rise and Shine only managed to keep their PSL status intact last season by winning a promotion play-off battle against National First Division teams Milano United and Black Leopards.
But since arriving at the Limpopo club in September last year, Papic has taken the team from a perilous position down near the foot of the table all the way up to sixth spot.
However, with only seven points separating Polokwane from the drop zone, Papic is not getting carried away with his achievements just yet and says the main objective is still the same - to secure the club’s top-flight status for another year.
"I had an agreement with the chairman (Johnny Mogaladi). We agreed that we are going to make sure that we do not get relegated," Papic told The Sowetan.
"We need about seven or nine points to be safe. If we finish higher than we are right now, then it will be a bonus," he said ahead of Wednesday’s clash with Ajax Cape Town in the Mother City.
Papic is renowned for getting his teams to play an attacking and exciting brand of football, and in this respect is not concerned about the fact that his side have conceded the most number of goals in the league: 32 in 17 matches.
"It's simple,try score one more goal than your opponents. People go buy tickets, and if they are not satisfied, they won't come back," said Papic, who was named as the Premiership Coach of the Month for November and December last year.