Lamontville Golden Arrows coach Mandla Ncikazi says everyone at the club is determined to end their first five games of the Absa Premiership season with their target of 10 points, which will essentially keep them on track to hit the 60-point mark come the end of the campaign.
Abafana Bes’thende are preparing to welcome AmaZulu FC to Clermont for the Durban derby on Saturday afternoon. (Kick-off at 15:00)
Arrows have enjoyed an impressive start to the campaign with two wins and a draw from their first three matches, but Ncikazi says they are still short of their target.
While Arrows’ results from the opening four rounds have left them sixth on the table, AmaZulu FC are last so far having lost three of their four games. And even though they are propping up the log, Ncikazi still reckons this will be their toughest test yet.
The Lamontville side have so far beaten Maritzburg United and Chippa United as well as drawn with Orlando Pirates in Soweto.
Their solitary loss was a 5-0 hammering away at Bloemfontein Celtic. Nonetheless, Ncikazi feels Usuthu is the most difficult of opponents from the opening five fixtures.
Both teams are also coming off a lengthy two-week international break. In terms of head-to-head, AmaZulu FC hold the advantage from recent seasons, and have not lost to Arrows since 2017.
Ncikazi, though, feels things could be different this time, adding that he was hoping for a more open derby at the Sugar Ray Xulu Stadium.
– Report by Thahir Asmal
