Royal AM defender Thabo Matlaba admits the club's FIFA-imposed transfer ban will not make life easy for his side ahead of the upcoming season.
Royal AM are currently prohibited from registering new players due to the ban resulting from a pay dispute with former player Samir Nurkovic.
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"In my opinion, it's very stressful that we can't sign any new players," Matlaba tells KickOff.
"Every season, a team must beef up their squad, to be honest, you can't play with the same players without beefing up the squad.
"Like it or not, you have to beef up the squad. This is football.
"But, we are not worried that much because we've got the academy boys that have been promoted to the first team, and they are doing very, very well.
"Now I think every department has been covered because of those boys, even if they don't have the experience of playing in the PSL.
"I think given a chance they will play well. They played well against AmaZulu in the Prince Mangosuthu Legacy Cup.
"All the young players played in that game, and we won the match 1-0. We won the cup.
"I think they will word hard, and the coach believes in them. We also encouraging them to do well.
"The ban doesn't mean our jobs as senior players are safe. The fact that the club is unable to bring in any new faces doesn't mean they will keep the deadwood.
"You are only safe when you perform. The club is running a business.
"If your numbers are not well, then you will be gone. You need to stay on your feet in every game so that you stay contracted to Royal AM.
"But I think we will do well this season, we are working very hard."
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