Arrows face Ajax, Maritzburg fizz
THE injury curse that hit Golden Arrows recently is a thing of the past and they expect to be back to full strength after this afternoon’s Absa Premiership match against Ajax Cape Town in KwaMashu.
Namibian international goalkeeper Max Mbaeva will be back in the selection picture for today’s game.
Mbaeva was injured during the warm-up ahead of Arrows’ 1-0 Nedbank Cup last-16 victory over Mamelodi Sundowns last week, and later sat out the 3-0 league defeat at Bidvest Wits.
Mbaeva has been the backup goalkeeper after Nkosingiphile Gumede took charge this year.
The Namibian will have to compete with junior international Ricardo Goss for a place on the bench against the Urban Warriors today.
Arrows face a fired-up Ajax team after the Cape youngsters won their first match of the year earlier this week when they edged out Highlands Park 1-0. That result lifted them two places to 11th spot in the standings.
It makes for an interesting tussle between rising junior international midfielder Grant Margeman and Arrows veteran defensive midfielder, Musa Bilankulu.
Although Arrows were whipped by Wits, Bilankulu and two other regulars, Kudakwashe Mahachi and Matome Mathiane, avoided yellow cards that would have seen them suspended for today’s showdown.
With the home Nedbank Cup quarter-final against Platinum Stars looming next weekend, Arrows coach Clinton Larsen might be tempted to rest some of the five players who are one caution away from a suspension.
By next weekend Larsen might be able to call on Lehlohonolo Nonyane.
The left-back has missed the major part of the campaign with injury but resumed training recently. That would give Arrows a fully fit squad to tackle their remaining matches as they target a top-eight finish and cup glory.
Meanwhile, Maritzburg United strolled to a 3-1 win over Baroka FC at the Harry Gwala Stadium in Pietermaritzburg last night.
Two first half goals in rainy conditions set the home side comfortably towards a seventh league triumph of the season. The points lifted them one place up the standings, above Polokwane City, to seventh.
Defender Kwanda Mngonyama grabbed his first of the campaign with a first-time strike as the ball fell from a defensive clearance off a corner kick in the 11th minute.
By the 25th minute Maritzburg had doubled their lead, again from a set-piece that exposed goalkeeper Oscarine Masuluke. Playmaker Kurt Lentjies’ free-kick was half cleared and defender Bevan Fransman whipped the ball back in to the far post where striker Mohau Mokate headed in for his fourth goal of the season.
Early after the break the visitors were rewarded with a penalty against Mngonyama in the 60th minute. Substitute midfielder José Garcia converted the chance to make for a tense finish.
Play swung from end to end and the home team made the most of a free-kick to regain their two-goal advantage and seal victory. Fransman blasted the ball in from the edge of the box after Lentjies was tripped in the 87th minute.