Thrilling clash in prospect

With the kind of football Baroka FC and Chippa United are playing, tonight’s Absa Premiership clash is sure to produce some memorable moments.

The clubs are coached by locals who believe in giving the players the freedom to express their natural talent on the field.

Baroka will be out for a second win when they host Chippa United at Peter Mokaba Stadium (7.30pm).

Kgoloko Thobejane’s team scored their first Absa Premiership win at the weekend, beating Platinum Stars 1-0 away.

Thobejane (below) – who has been widely accused of arrogance due to his off the cuff comments – admitted after the Dikwena win that he was beginning to feel some pressure as things didn’t go their way in their first three games in the top flight.

“I’m very happy … as I’ve said before, it was about us not conceding any goals, which we managed to do. At the end of the day, we are winners. At Baroka, this thing of conceding is not our culture,” Thobejane said in a post-match interview at the weekend.

Bakgaga got their campaign off to a bad start, drawing 1-1 with Ajax Cape Town in their first match before suffering their first defeat in the Premiership when fellow new boys Highlands Park beat them 2-1 in a game where they were awarded four penalties but only converted one. They then lost 2-0 to Bidvest Wits before getting their first win last weekend.

Thobejane then rued the missed chances and said they had cost his team dearly, and said they need to start converting more.

“Going forward, we need to make sure we convert our chances. We managed to hold the ball and not give it away so our opponents could not score cheap goals against us, but the issue of scoring is an international challenge.”

In tonight’s other matches, Free State Stars host Kaizer Chiefs and SuperSport United are away to Golden Arrows.

Also see Page 38.