City set to bounce back after defeat
14th-placed Stars desperate for win
Cape Town City will be looking to bounce back when they face Free State Stars at Cape Town Stadium tonight (8pm).
Stars, though, are just as desperate for points as they are in the relegation zone.
City, who are one of the titlechasing teams, stumbled in their last match when they lost 1-0 to Maritzburg United a week ago, which was their first league loss this year.
Head coach Eric Tinkler was left disappointed by that loss in KwaZulu-Natal, but believes they are capable of turning it around against Stars. “We were simply not good enough against Maritzburg, and you can’t just point a finger at one person,” admitted the former Bafana Bafana midfielder.
“But we have to bounce back. Obviously, our targets and objectives are totally different to where we find ourselves now and for that reason, there should be no fear to play be- cause the pressure [to win the league] is not on us,” he said.
“The pressure is on (Mamelodi) Sundowns, (Bidvest) Wits, (Kaizer) Chiefs … We’ve done exceptionally well and I’m proud of the team.”
As much as Tinkler has picked Sundowns to win the league, he maintained that his team will look for a good performance against Stars and take it from there.
“I still think Sundowns are favourites right now, because of their run-in. For us it’s about bouncing back,” he added.
Stars, who beat City 1-0 in the first round at Goble Park Stadium, are in a precarious 14th spot in the league and won’t be easy opponents.
From a technical point of view, Ea Lla Koto may come up with a surprise. Head coach Serame Letsoaka has a new assistant in David Vilakazi, while Themba Sithole will now focus on their development team.
City defender Tshepo Gumede will miss the clash after picking up a fourth yellow card in the loss to Maritzburg.