Santos eyeing sixth win as they climb NFD log

UNBEATEN Santos take on national First Division newcomers Baroka FC at the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane today.

In other matches involving Cape teams, second- placed Chippa United welcome inform Witbank Spurs to the Philippi Stadium, while thirdbottom FC Cape Town tackle ninth-placed Sivutsa Stars.

Santos, who over the past season and a third have only been beaten once in 27 league games, will be fancied to record a sixth win from 12 starts.

What a turnaround from last season’s poor start to life in the NFD for the People’s Team after losing their top-flight status in 2011/12 and thus consigned themselves to the second tier.

Santos ended the 2012/ 13 season with a 13-10-5 record and secured a place in the second-tier promotion/relegation play-offs, where they failed to win a game.

This season Santos have made a strong start under new coach David Notoane and are in with a real chance of winning back their Premier Soccer League status.

They are now the sole remaining unbeaten side after 10 rounds and hold third place on the 16-team standings.

Notoane is feeling pretty satisfied about how things have panned out so far.

His pre-season goal of being within touch of the top two teams has been realised.

“We have set high standards and we are achieving what we set out to do,” Notoane said.

“At this stage, after a stopstart campaign, we’re on 21 points, five behind our Cape rivals Milano United and tied with Chippa.

“The points gap was reduced by three after we beat African Warriors 2- 0 and Milano lost 1-0 away to Stars. That’s a manageable situation Milano Chippa Santos Witbank Vasco United Baroka Leopards Sivutsa Warriors Maluti Roses Cosmos Cape Town 11 Blackburn 11 Thanda RZ 11 PWD 11 8 2 11 6 3 11 5 6 11 5 3 11 5 3 11 4 4 11 4 3 11 3 5 11 3 5 10 4 1 11 3 4 11 2 5 10 2 5 2 3 2 2 1 2 L 1 2 0 3 3 3 4 3 3 5 4 4 3 6 7 8 F AP 18 4 26 18 10 21 10 3 21 11 10 18 9 8 18 21 12 16 9 12 15 18 15 14 10 10 14 12 14 13 13 18 13 10 11 11 7 9 11 9 17 9 8 16 8 7 21 5 for us with 19 games still to play.”

Meanwhile, Chippa and Town will be out to make it back-to-back wins after recording comfortable victories on Wednesday, Chippa downing Black Leopards 2-0 and Town beating Thanda Royal Zulu 4-2.