ARROWS TARGET BLACK LEOPARDS
Lamontville Golden Arrows will square off with Black Leopards in the DStv Premiership match at the Sugar Ray Xulu Stadium today.
Kick-off is at 5pm CAT. Abafana Bes’thende are one of the three teams which are still undefeated in the league this season, having ended 2020 with a 1-1 draw with Mamelodi Sundowns at home on December 19. Arrows find themselves on the sixth spot on the league standings - three points p behind thirdplaced Super
Sport United.
Mandla Ncikazi, the Arrows ws head coach, will be banking ng on his side’s fighting spirit t after they fought back to hold defending champions Sundowns.
“The fighting spirit in our team is amazing, that makes me so proud.
There are games where we had to come back from behind and equalised late,” Ncikazi said.
“That is the kind of team that we have this season. I am happy that we collected a point, we did not lose. e.
But I’m really proud of these boys.”
Meanwhile, Leopards stretched their heir winless run to four matches in the league eague when they succumbed to a 2-1 defeat to Swallows FC at home on December 20.
As a result, Lidoda Duvha remain 16th on the league standings with five points - two points behind 12th-placed TS Galaxy.
Dylan Kerr, the Leopards head coach, admitted that he is still trying to find a solution to their problems following their defeat to Swallows.
“It’s not where we wanted to be [log position] come Christmas. It is going to be very tough, I got the right players, I got the right mentality in the squad,” Kerr said.
“But it’s tough to put a finger on it because when I see what we do every day, when I see the energy and the enthusiasm of what we do at training on the field it’s not playable.”
KEY PLAYERS TO WATCH GOLDEN ARROWS Nduduzo Sibiya:
The creative midfielder has caught the eye y with his ability to score goals from midfield, having netted ne three times this term. Sibiya has the abil ability to inspire Abafana Bes’thende to a win over Leopards.
Michael Gumede: The striker finally sco scored his maiden goal of the season when he found the back of the net against Sundowns after making six l league starts. Gumede will be confident of hitting the back of the net again.
BLACK LEOPARDS
Ovidy Karuru: The Zimbabwe international has hit the ground running at Leopards, having netted twice and registered one assist from his first three t games. Karuru could be a key to a Leopards victory in Durban. Onyedikachi Ononogbu: The South Africa-born Af Nigerian centre forward netted nett his first-ever goal in the top flight league leagu when he scored against Swallows. Ononogbu Onono will be hungry for another goal when they take on Arrows.