Team of Choice need their scoring boots
MARITZBURG United have been rock solid defensively in the past four league matches but they have lacked the firepower upfront to put away the opposition. Coach Fadlu Davids is intent on fixing this.
The Team of Choice will welcome the MTN8 champions, Cape Town City, to the Harry Gwala Stadium in Pietermaritzburg for an Absa Premiership clash tonight (8pm).
They have kept Kaizer Chiefs, Bidvest Wits, Bloemfontein Celtic and AmaZulu at bay in the last four matches which is a major improvement for a team that had a turbulent start to the new season.
Maritzburg were defensively fragile in the first few matches as they struggled to go on with life after defensive stalwart Bevan Fransman.
They succumbed to defeats against Lamontville Golden Arrows (2-0), Free State Stars (2-1) and Cape Town City (1-0 in the quarter-finals of the MTN8). The Team of Choice have now played 360 minutes without conceding a goal. But it is up front where they have lacked the killer instinct.
“The positive for us right now is the four clean sheets in a row but we have to work on our attack. We have to get that fluidity. We have to get better upfront. We have to work on our final pass and decision making in the final third. It is a work in progress,” Fadlu said.
The Midlands outfit have only scoredtwice in seven matches across all competitions with Keletso Makgwala and Bandile Shandu the only ones who have managed to find the opposition net.
Tonight, Davids and his men will be seeking revenge over a City side that beat them in the MTN8.
“They deserved to beat us. They deserved to knock us out of the cup. They also deserved to win the cup. We were still trying to find our feet during that time. Now we are a bit better. It will be an open game with both teams trying to attack,” he said.
“There’s is a clear structure in how Cape Town City play, in how they attack and defend. Credit to Benni McCarthy (the City coach), he has transformed that team. They made top signings to strengthen their team. They have really taken their team forward and that is exactly where they are right now.” United have collected two points out of the possible nine at home. They suffered defeats against Arrows and played out to two stalemates against Kaizer Chiefs and Bidvest Wits.
The other home defeat they suffered was that first round MTN8 exit against eventual champions City. Davids and his team will be looking to put that right tonight.