Chance for City to settle Baroka score
Benni’s boys lost to Bakgaga in cup tie
Cape Town City will tackle top-of-the-table Baroka FC in the Absa Premiership tonight with the chance to leapfrog their guests to the summit of the league for 24 hours at least.
The match will be played at what is expected to be a rainsoaked Cape Town Stadium with a 6pm kick-off, a return to their main venue for City having endured the bumpy Athlone Stadium pitch in recent games.
It comes three weeks after their last match‚ a 1-0 victory over Free State Stars that snapped a four-game winless streak for coach Benni McCarthy’s side. He was thankful for the rest they have had.
“One step at a time‚ let’s not get ahead of ourselves. We have just come from four losses and now there is already talk about third‚ second and first places‚” McCarthy said.
“We are just going to continue‚ I know we had some setbacks but we will just keep rolling and fighting.”
McCarthy will have two experienced players back from injury in goalkeeper Shu-Aib Walters and winger Aubrey Ngoma‚ who finally makes a return after six months on the sidelines.
“Aubrey is upbeat‚ he and I had a conversation where he said to me‚ ‘I’m in the mood coach‚ I’m hungry’‚ and that’s what I wanted to hear‚” McCarthy said.
“He is looking good and has his hunger back. It will be a fantastic boost for the club‚ it’s like signing a new player.”
Judas Moseamedi could get a rare start‚ which would be just his 14th in the PSL in twoand-a-half seasons.
Baroka beat City in Polokwane in the Telkom Knockout competition at the end of last month‚ but are in the midst of a four-game winless run in the league‚ with their early-season bubble having seemingly burst.