NFD rookies ‘capable’ of win

MTHATHA Bucks coach Julius “JD” Dube is confident that three points is on the cards for the NFD newcomers when they meet AmaZulu at the Princess Magogo Stadium in Durban tomorrow.

According to Dube, his charges will expose their foes’ slow defence by catching them on a counter. If they do this, believes JD, victory is imminent.

The Mthatha outfit are still in search of their first victory since their promotion to the second tier. They have only managed two points out of a possible 15 in their five outings.

For this reason, said Dube, victory is important. Dube is not bothered by AmaZulu’s PSL experience.

If anything, he believes it works against the KZN side because “PSL teams are slow”.

“This is NFD baba, and as far as I know, we are on the same level with AmaZulu,” said Dube.

This was echoed by Dube’s counterpart, Steve Barker, who warned his side will have to be on full alert against the NFD rookies.

Barker said: “We must approach this match with the right mentality because there are no easy games in this league.

“If anything, I am sure Mthatha Bucks are desperate for a win and are going to go out 100% to get their first win of the season.”

According to Dube, they are less under pressure playing away from home because they will not have to face demanding fans.

Dube expressed concern over his side’s position on the log, saying the quicker they move away from the basement, the better.

If they beat AmaZulu, he said, it will go a long way in restoring players’ confidence.

“On the other side a loss will be bad for us, especially with the next week being a Fifa break because if we lose, then moral goes further down and the break will just make things worse.”

Dube pleaded with the Bucks faithful not to throw in the towel because there was light at the end of the tunnel.

“Look, upon my return to the club, I inherited a team of players who were way behind in terms of physical fitness, but we have covered much ground trying to address this.

“We will be cautious but equally so, we must get goals because we have not been scoring but with the slow defence of our opponents, counter attacks may be the best strategy going forward.”

But Barker said his side will not be bullied.

“It is our home game so we must collect maximum points.”