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Khenyeza keen to focus on the future with Arrows

football24 September 2024 12:30| © Backpage TXT
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Golden Arrows head coach Mabhuti Khenyeza has urged his players to enjoy the moment and not dwell on last season's slump as they prepare to take on Magesi at the Mpumalanga Stadium on Wednesday, September 25.

Kick-off is at 7.30pm CAT (SA, GMT+2)

Current form:

Abafana Bes'thende are flying high after winning their opening two games in the Betway Premiership to occupy top spot ahead of Polokwane City on goal difference.

Khenyeza's side dug deep to beat Stellenbosch 2-0 in Athlone on September 18 and they saw off Marumo Gallants by the same scoreline in Hammarsdale three days later.

It invokes memories of 2023-24 when Arrows collected 19 points from their first nine matches under Khenyeza and Vusumuzi Vilakazi, who resigned in November which coincided with a collapse.

The KZN outfit lost nine of their next 10 encounters and Steve Komphela was eventually brought in towards the end of the campaign to salvage the situation before returning to Mamelodi Sundowns in July.

Magesi have yet to pick up any points since gaining promotion as winners of the Motsepe Foundation Championship, although they can take encouragement from their performances thus far.

Clinton Larsen's side created chances against both Sekhukhune United and Polokwane City, but naive defending resulted in 1-0 and 2-0 defeats respectively.

What was said:

Golden Arrows head coach Mabhuti Khenyeza

"We just need to focus on the future and forget about the past... We'll only learn lessons from the past. Even in general life, we learn from the past and we move past it.

"If you dwell too much in the past, then you'll build up a sense of fear of doing things because you keep reciting the last season. This is a new season.

"This is excellent for the players because they've been working and waiting for 9-10 weeks, so this actually belongs to them. We have to give them credit, there is a team spirit as well as the fighting spirit.

"You can see, everyone is prepared to defend out of possession, and playing against Gallants, a team that can keep the ball so much for a long period, is a tough task.

"Considering the game we've just played as well against Stellies, so let's give them credit and enjoy the moment."

Players to watch:

Golden Arrows - Knox Mutizwa has entered his eighth season at Abafana Bes'thende since making a permanent move from Bidvest Wits in August 2017 after an initial six-month loan. The 30-year-old striker opened his account for the season against Gallants on Saturday to mark his 53rd goal in a green shirt.

Magesi - Wonderboy Makhubu played an integral role in Dikwena tsa Meetse's title-winning campaign, netting 11 times in 30 appearances to finish sixth in the MFC scoring charts. The 27-year-old striker came close to opening his account against Rise And Shine with a header that was tipped over the crossbar by Manuel Sapunga in the 67th minute.

Head-to-Head: N/A

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