The hard work has begun for new Cape Town City coach Benni McCarthy, with pre-season in full swing, as he takes on a job that, he says, fills him with a huge sense of responsibility.
The former South Africa international is the country's leading goal-scorer, and has spent the last two decades in Europe, but he was, for many, a surprise pick when he was unveiled by the club last month, taking over from the successful Eric Tinkler.
City have since acquired players with international experience to help McCarthy along, the latest being his former national teammate Teko Modise, who was unveiled on Wednesday.
There have been few major departures from last season's squad, with the loss of the versatile Thato Mokeke back to SuperSport United, at the completion of his loan spell, perhaps the biggest miss.
The exit of the erratic Bhongolwethu Jayiya to Kaizer Chiefs is the loss of a squad man, but not necessarily a first team player.
McCarthy has thus walked into a stable environment where he knows the mandate is to improve on last season's third-place finish in the league, and add to the Telkom Knockout trophy they won in their maiden Premier Soccer League campaign.
But that is not his biggest worry. McCarthy says many people see him as a trailblazer for young coaches, particularly those who are former players, and that his success or failure in this job could have an impact on others down the line.
"I feel it is a chance for me to open doors for young coaches, of which there are not many in South African football. We tend not to give that many ex-players a chance, because there is not the belief in their ability," McCarthy tells KweséESPN.
"But if I can do well in this job, I can change that perception. I can open doors for others, I can persuade other clubs to say, 'Look at what he is doing with no previous experience, let's give a chance to so and so'. Because I can tell you, those doors are mostly shut.
"So it is nerve-wracking for me, as much as I am excited. I am very nervous about how it could turn out, not so much for myself, but because of what I represent at the moment. A young, inexperienced coach trying to make a start in this role in football.
"If I do well, I open up opportunities for other coaches. If I fail, it could be to the detriment of a lot of very good, young coaches out there. I carry that responsibility with me and it is a lot of pressure, I can assure you.
"But I know what I must do. I must believe in my abilities, believe in the knowledge that I have acquired as a player and while doing my coaching badges, and work very hard. If I rely on all of those things, I think I will be OK," he adds.
McCarthy says he has been stunned by the reaction from media and the public since he was unveiled last month, for what is his first role as a head coach, having previously acted as assistant at Belgian top-flight side Sint Truiden.
"The reaction to me getting the job at Cape Town City has been overwhelming, I feel like so many people are excited to see what I can do," he says.
"They are thinking, 'Will his coaching career be anything like his playing career, can he take that next step'. I can feel that."
Despite this pressure, McCarthy believes he has found the right home to kick-start his coaching career, which has come earlier than he had planned as he studies for his UEFA 'pro' License.
Rather than the cut-throat environment of European football, he feels he will get greater support from City owner John Comitis, for whom he played as a teenager while at Cape Town Spurs, before embarking on his career abroad.
"For me to start at a club where I know the people are trying to help me progress, that is important," McCarthy says.
"Football can be harsh and I thought it was important that I took a job where I would feel settled and where I knew that the club management understood where I was coming from.
"I played for the chairman at Cape Town Spurs when I was a teenager and we have a good understanding.
"This is a big step for me, it feels like I am starting a totally new career in football and that everything I have done so far as a player counts for little. I have acquired knowledge obviously, but coaching is something totally new and I am still learning.
"That is why, for me, the environment needs to be enabling and I think I have got that at Cape Town City."