Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
City want to keep their winning streak going
CAPE TOWN CITY will be out to complete a season double over Free State Stars in what is likely to be a lively PSL encounter at Goble Park this evening (8.15pm kickoff).
City are in second place on the table, four points behind Mamelodi Sundowns, while third-placed Stars are six points adrift of the pacesetters.
The last time these two title contenders met, the men from the Mother City had home advantage, and they made it count, winning 1-0.
Stars who, like their opponents, have strengthened their squad in the January transfer window, will try and match the feat.
They’ve won four of their last five outings and are on a hat-trick.
Going for the hosts is an unbeaten record at home since September.
The Bethlehem side have bolstered their attacking department with the signing of Congolese playmaker Harris Tchilmbou from AC Leopards, while a handful of players have either left the club or are out on loan.
Ea Lla Koto ended 2017 with a 1-0 win over Orlando Pirates and followed it up with a win over relegation-threatened Bidvest Wits in the first week of January.
City have been on a roll themselves with coach Benni McCarthy’s close-knit side defeating the log leaders before the festive break and then downing Platinum Stars for the perfect start to 2018.
Now is a chance for the Citizens to make it four wins in a row. They began their unbeaten run with a 1-0 victory over AmaZulu late last year.
McCarthy will be aware that should they falter at Stars and Sundowns beat Orlando Pirates, the gap would be a sizeable seven points with 13 games left to play.
But the 40-year-old rookie coach isn’t going to worry about ifs and buts, his focus is only on the current assignment.
He was happy with the performance from the previous round, a winning one against struggling Platinum Stars (1-0).
Having kept clean sheets in their last three outings shows how well organised things are at the back, according to goalkeeper Sage Stephens.
“As a keeper we are judged by how many clean sheets we keep, so we are chuffed about the stats of late… but full marks to the defenders for making life that much more easier for me.
“We’ve stuck to our game plan and have played as a team. I must thank coach Benni for believing in me. Now I’m playing all the games and just want to keep improving and doing well for the team,” said Stephens.
“As for Stars, they are a direct team and hard to beat at home as their record shows,” Stephens pointed out
“Definitely one of the biggest games for us and we are up for it.
“We are a team that always scores and we want to keep doing that.”
And helping that happen is ris- ing midfield star Thabo Nodaba.
The 22-two-year-old, who hails from KwaZulu-Natal, is one of those players who leaves everything out on the pitch as a result of his combative approach.
And he believes his teammates are far from the finished product.
“The recent winning streak gives us positives going forward; we are a lot more confident, we believe in our ability a lot more, and everybody wants to keep the winning going. “We enjoy winning.
“So we will keep going and pushing for the results, and that’s what we need to do for the second half of the season to be in a position to challenge for the silverware,” he said.