AmaZulu and Maritzburg do battle in KZN derby

Kick-off is at 3:30pm CAT.

AmaZulu suffered a second successive league defeat when they went down 1-0 away to Mamelodi Sundowns earlier this week. Usuthu have claimed seven points from six home matches this season, and lost 1-0 to Chippa United in their last outing as hosts.

Defeat leaves the club in 15th place on the log standings heading into this weekend's round of fixtures, but head coach Jozef Vukušic is not concerned as yet.

"I am not worried about the situation that we find ourselves in on the log‚" said Vukušic.

"What makes me positive is the performance of the players in the second half against a strong team like Sundowns because we showed that we can play football.

"We must move forward now because we have tough games coming against tough opponents," he concluded.

Maritzburg saw their winless run in the league extended to three matches with a 2-0 home loss at the hands of SuperSport United on Wednesday evening. The Team of Choice has taken five points from as many away matches this season.

Fresh from reaching the Telkom Knockout final in Mbombela, Maritzburg struggled to keep up with a rejuvenated Matsatsantsa outfit and head coach Eric Tinkler was ready to admit as much.

"To be honest we were not great today. Really not at our best. We tried our best but didn't create enough opportunities," Tinkler said in the aftermath.

Midfielder Miguel Timm echoed his coach's sentiments as Maritzburg now set their sights on downing Usuthu.

"It was a tough result to take, we were hoping to build on our home record. It was unfortunate. Legs were a bit heavy, it was always going to be a hard ask. We hope to fix the result in our next game," Timm added.

KEY PLAYERS TO WATCH

AmaZulu

Bongi Ntuli: Such is the burly forward's importance to the KZN team that he has scored all seven of their league goals this season. Ntuli, though, has failed to find the back of the net in his last two matches and consequently, AmaZulu lost both. He will be hoping to return to scoring ways this weekend as the club aim to claw themselves away from the relegation zone.

Michael Morton: The hardworking and hard-running midfielder plays an important anchor role in the middle of the pitch for Usuthu. Against a Maritzburg side who play a fast-paced game, Morton will play an important role in breaking down the Team of Choice in what promises to be a fiery encounter.

Maritzburg United

Mxolisi Kunene: The Team of Choice attacker has played himself into the starting XI this season with a string of eye-catching performances. Such is his rise that he is now a key attacking outlet for the club. Kunene will run at the AmaZulu defence all afternoon, and not only create chances for himself, but free up space for those around him to flourish.

Rushine de Reuck: One of the rising stars in the league, De Reuck has been in superb form for Maritzburg this season. With it still unclear whether Siyanda Xulu will be available for this weekend's clash - having missed his club's last two games - De Reuck's importance is magnified. He has all the qualities to be a top centre-back in the league for seasons to come.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

Last 10 league results

Season Result Scorers

2012/13 Maritzburg 2-0 AmaZulu Malajila 2
2012/13 AmaZulu 0-0 Maritzburg
2013/14 AmaZulu 0-2 Maritzburg van Heerden (og), Sekotlong
2013/14 Maritzburg 1-3 AmaZulu Lentjies (pen); G. Dlamini, Ndulula 2
2014/15 Maritzburg 1-1 AmaZulu Cele; Ndulula (pen)
2014/15 AmaZulu 1-2 Maritzburg van Heerden; Mekoa, Mokate
2017/18 AmaZulu 1-1 Maritzburg Cele; Mokate
2017/18 Maritzburg 2-0 AmaZulu Shandu, Ndlovu
2018/19 AmaZulu 0-0 Maritzburg
2018/19 Maritzburg 2-1 AmaZulu Makaringe, Moseamedi; Shandu (og)

League record (since 2006/07)

Home

P W D L GF GA

AmaZulu 10 1 4 5 6 12
Maritzburg 10 5 4 1 16 10

Away

P W D L GF GA

AmaZulu 10 1 4 5 10 16
Maritzburg 10 5 4 1 12 6

Total

P W D L GF GA

AmaZulu 20 2 8 10 16 28
Maritzburg 20 10 8 2 28 16