Lamontville Golden Arrows Assistant Coach Mandla Ncikazi does not believe that Bidvest Wits’ recent heavy schedule will impact their performance in their Absa Premiership showdown on Thursday night. Kick-off at 18:00
The Students have been up and down the country and the continent in the last few days and are way behind all the other teams in the league, having played just eight matches thus far.
Gavin Hunt’s side are in Durban for what will be the hosts’ 14th match of 2019/20, with the game the first of three in eight days before Christmas.
But Ncikazi insists it will not benefit his side.
Wits only returned from their most recent trip to Mali on Monday following a 1-0 defeat to Djoliba in the CAF Confederation Cup.
It is a competition the Students seem to be trying harder in this year, although it has not come without consequences.
They have dropped to 9th on the table in the interim, but with those chunk of games in hand.
Wits return to the country was also greeted by heavy rains nationwide, including in Durban, where Ncikazi too admits that preparations for the clash at Sugar Ray Xulu Stadium in Clermont have been checked.
Whilst Wits will arrive in Durban lingering outside the top eight, Arrows have been soaring. Despite losing to Black Leopards in the last league game 11 days ago, they are sitting pretty in fourth position with 20 points from 13 games.
Another three points in front of their home faithful, who have not seen Abafana Besthende lose in Clermont this campaign, can see them vault into joint second place.
Ncikazi concedes Steve Komphela’s charges are progressing well in 2019/20.
– Report by Thahir Asmal
