Rich Boyz look for six of the best
RICHARDS Bay FC was back to their best with their 2-0 defeat over Cape Town All Stars on Saturday, maintaining the top spot on the GladAfrica Championship log. With 24 games gone and just six left to play, the title – and with it PSL promotion – is increasingly in touching distance.
It has been an amazing display of dedication and application by the Rich Boyz, who are now on a 19-game unbeaten run.
The last time they tasted defeat was during a disastrous 10-day spell in September when they lost three in a row, after a win and a draw, to start the season.
Since then it’s been 10 wins and nine draws, with 28 goals scored in the 24 games to date: Hlongwa 7, Mngomezulu 5, Mthethwa 5, Ntsundwana 3, Mcineka 2, Vilane 2, Maphate 1 and Mathebula 1.
It is not much more than an average strike rate for a team in first position, but it’s the miserly 16 goals conceded by the best defensive unit in the league that sees them where they are.
Saturday’s 2-0 win over Cape Town All Stars was another case in point, and all the more remarkable because top keeper Malcolm Jacobs and captain Siphamandla ‘Spepe’ Mtolo were among a number of players unavailable for the clash.
‘I have said it before, every player in the squad is ready and fully committed so we can fill any vacant spot without the side getting weaker,’ head coach Pitso Dladla said at Tuesday’s beach practice session.
There are no games this weekend due to the Nedbank Cup break, but fixtures will resume with a bang on Wednesday 13 April when Richards Bay come up in a must-win fixture against nearest rivals Pretoria University.
Tuks were lucky on Sunday to come back from a goal down against TS Sporting to win 2-1, and should they put on another pathetic display as that, NRB might well give them a good hiding.
The Pretoria boys had little to offer other than route one long balls, to which they also appeared extremely vulnerable.
Expect NRB to dominate the midfield and take Tuks apart up front while keeping it tight at the back, as usual.
*Open your PixzAR app and scan the framed image to watch the team training for next week's big game