Richards Bay FC coach Brandon Truter is hoping that his side can gather strength from the recent battles they endured in the relegation zone as they prepare to take on Sekhukhune United in their latest Betway Premiership assignment at the Peter Mokaba Stadium on Tuesday night. Kick-off is at 7:30pm (CAT, GMT+2)
CURRENT FORM
Richards Bay battled to yield positive results on a consistent basis in the Betway Premiership this season and are currently sitting in 11th position following a four-match winless streak.
The Natal Rich Boyz recorded two draws and two defeats in their last four league matches, which includes a 0-0 stalemate with Stellenbosch FC at the King Goodwill Zwelithini Stadium this past weekend.
Richards Bay last tasted victory in the league on the 15th of September, where they bagged a 1-0 result against TS Galaxy on home soil.
Sekhukhune United will face Richards Bay following a 2-0 loss against Royal AM at the Harry Gwala Stadium on Saturday and ended the latest gameweek in 7th position on the table.
Prior to their loss against Royal AM, Babina Noko commenced the 24/25 season on a strong note after bagging two wins and one draw in their opening three league fixtures.
WHAT WAS SAID
Sekhukhune mentor Lehlohonolo Seema lamented his side’s inability to create notable scoring chances against Royal AM last time out but at the same time, reiterated the need to fight for points against Richards Bay on Tuesday.
“It’s pointless for us to have the ball but not hurting the opponent,” Seema said.
“So, we’re trying to get the ball, trying to get to the line or say let’s go wide and puts some crosses into the box
“It was a game where we can say that we learned more than we can say that it was a loss for us. We have learned that sometimes to have all the players that are always attracted to the ball, we need to do better in terms of hurting the opponent.
“We’ll go back, on Tuesday we have another tough game for us, we’re not putting our heads down. We’re going to fight for the next game, we have to pick the points up there and we look forward to Tuesday’s game.
In view of a busy season ahead, Natal Rich Boyz coach Brandon Truter praised his side’s character following their recent battles in the relegation zone.
“It’s difficult managing the group and the club as well, there's things we need to change and move away from purely because of what the club has been through in terms of relegation fights,” he said.
“We can't really be doing the same thing and expect different results. Some players are used to doing things in a certain way and some things don't change overnight.”
“It's a team that survived relegation on the last day via the play-offs, it's a team with a bigger fear to lose than wanting to win and that's what we’re instilling at the moment.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Richards Bay: Keegan Allan – Now a staple under Truter at Richards Bay, Allan will once again be tasked to marshal his defence against Babina Noko. While he is known for being an astute reader of the game, Allan also provides steel and grit to the Natal Rich Boyz backline.
Sekhukhune United: Sipho Mbule – The skilful midfielder has been a hit for Sekhukhune this season and was a standout performer against Royal AM last time out. In facing a well-drilled Truter outfit, Sekhukhune will no doubt rely on Mbule’s press resistant qualities to make things happen in the middle of the park.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
Last four league results:
2022/23 Richards Bay 1-0 Sekhukhune United
2022/23 Sekhukhune United 2-0 Richards Bay
2023/24 Richards Bay 1-1 Sekhukhune United
2023/24 Sekhukhune United 3-1 Richards Bay