Highbury FC midfielder Ngero Katua believes the club's unity and growing confidence will be important as they continue their push for automatic promotion in the Motsepe Foundation Championship.
The 25-year-old Namibian international has adapted well to South African football after joining Highbury from Namibian side African Stars.
He says the experience has helped him develop both on and off the field as he looks to make his mark with the Yellow Nation.
Katua, who made his senior national team debut at the age of 21 and has since made 24 appearances for Namibia, admits that adjusting to the demands of South African football was not easy at first.
"It's the tempo and the demands on positioning and decision-making," Katua said.
"It took me some time to get used to it. I had to think fast and be more disciplined with things without the ball.
"But with good guidance and hard work, it has become second nature."
The midfielder believes he has made significant progress since arriving at the club but insists there is still room for improvement.
He also believes Highbury's family-like environment makes the club special, with a strong connection between the players and supporters.
"I have grown a lot, both as a player and as a person.
"I feel more confident and more complete than when I arrived. But there is still more to come.
"What makes Highbury unique is the togetherness. It feels like a family, and there's a real identity in how we play and how the fans connect with the team.
"It's a really great club."
His immediate attention is on Saturday's away encounter against NWU, with Highbury hoping to build on Sunday's important 2-1 victory over Leicesterford City at the Nelson Mandela University Stadium.
The win ended their five-match winless run and provided a timely confidence boost.
Highbury came from behind after conceding in the first half, with substitute Mervin Boji scoring twice to secure all three points.
Katua says the mood in the camp has been positive as the team prepares for another important assignment.
"The mood in the group is positive, and everyone knows what is at stake.
"The intensity in training has been high. It has really been a focused week," he said.
Highbury are currently eighth in the league standings with 15 points from nine matches, while NWU are ninth with 11 points, making Saturday's meeting an important opportunity for the visitors to strengthen their position.
Meanwhile, representing Namibia remains one of Katua's biggest motivations.
He believes his club performances and international commitments complement each other.
"Playing for Namibia is one of my proudest honours, and it motivates me every day.
"The form I have at the club is what earns me the national call-ups.
"The two feed each other, and I'm grateful to have the support of both," he said.
His personal ambition is to remain consistent, contribute to results, and improve with every game, while helping Highbury achieve their bigger objective.
"Personally, I want to stay consistent and contribute to results and keep on improving each and every game," he said.
"But as a team, we're just aiming for automatic promotion, and we're working towards that."
