Dikwena on a high as they head for cup final at Orlando
PLATINUM Stars coach Allan Freese feels their 4-2 victory over AmaZulu in the Premiership was a huge confidence booster ahead of the Telkom Knockout final against SuperSport United at Orlando Stadium on Saturday.
“It’s a good win for us which was a result of team effort,” Freese said. “It also shows that we can score goals and it gives us a boost going to the final.”
Dikwena strikers were in superior form as Eleazar Rodgers bagged a hat-trick, while Ndumiso Mabena scored the fourth at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium. Saturday’s result was Dikwena’s first league win after six failed attempts.
The brace scored by Tshepo Liphoko for AmaZulu was inconsequential as the home side ran away with the points.
The Phokeng-based outfit are unbeaten in their last three matches in all competitions. Over that span of games, they have recorded victories over bigwigs Kaizer Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns as they secured the final berth.
However, Freese has singled out their most recent match as the most crucial before the cup showdown at the Orlando Stadium. “Not only did we play well, what was more pleasing, is that we are scoring goals again.”
Freese hailed the hat-trick hero, who had scored four in two matches. “We work hard every time at training and Rodgers has been working hard too. I’m happy for the win and I’m happy for him. He is a good, intelligent striker who gets himself in scoring position and this is what he did against AmaZulu.”
Rodgers was thrilled after scoring a Premiership hat-trick
for the first time in his career.
“I had been working hard and I think I deserve to score that hat-trick,” Rodgers said.
Meanwhile, the Barker name has been synonymous with AmaZulu, and today the club opens a new chapter when the younger Steve Barker follows in his uncle Clive's footsteps as coach of the Durban side,
writes Kamlesh Gosai.
Barker left his post as head coach of the University of Pretoria to join AmaZulu on “a long term contract”, confirmed the club's marketing manager Lunga Sokhela yesterday. The nephew of veteran coach Clive Barker has a simple target, to turn AmaZulu's fortunes around and ensure they retain their Premiership status.
After putting on a match winning performance, Wits winger Sameehg Doutie said the team had rectified their past mistakes in their 2-0 Premiership win over Free State Stars at Bidvest Stadium.
“We came from an unfortunate loss. We lost in the dying minutes in our last game. We have been pushing hard and we managed to lift ourselves up,” Doutie said. “I think it was clear to see that we were the better team at the end of the day.”
With only two minutes on the clock, Doutie provided Chris Kantongo a pinpoint cross which the Zambian duly converted. In the second half Doutie bagged a goal of his own in the 60th minute to roundup the home victory for the Clever Boys.
Fighting back from two goals down with half an hour to play, the University of Pretoria secured a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Premiership strugglers Moroka Swallows in Dobsonville on Saturday night.
Tuks bagged their second straight win to lift themselves clear of the relegation zone, while the Birds continued their poor run of form, going seven successive league fixtures without a victory.
Polokwane City struck twice in the second half to stun high-flying Mpumalanga Black Aces with a 2-1 victory at Kanyamazane. The visitors picked up their third straight league win, entrenching themselves in a closely contested midtable battle and bringing an end to Aces’ seven-match unbeaten run. Thobani Mncwango and Puleng Tlolane scored for City while Collins Mbesuma netted for the home team. Ajax Cape Town and Maritzburg United played to a goalless draw in Cape Town. – Sapa