Sekhukhune United welcome Golden Arrows to the Peter Mokaba Stadium in the DStv Premiership on Wednesday evening, as both teams seek their first win of the new league season.
Kick-off is at 7:30pm CAT (SA, GMT +2)
The home side faced Maritzburg United in their opening league encounter, recording a 1-1 draw at the Harry Gwala Stadium. Babina Noko looked lively from the outset and threatened the Team of Choice goal, particularly at set-piece situations.
Alert to danger in the opening exchanges of the match, Sekhukhune’s pressure paid off in the 15th minute. Tshegofatso Mabasa showcased his striker’s instincts by chasing a lobbed effort into the area, which was misjudged by the goalkeeper as he subsequently slotted the ball into the back of the net.
During the post-match interviews, coach Kaitano Tembo lamented his side’s missed opportunities, however, expressed his delight at their overall performance.
“Well, credit to the guys, I think they played very well, we had a very good start,” Tembo said after the game.
“Each and every time we went forward, we looked like scoring. We didn't really take our chances, especially in the first half.
“Second half, we could have managed the game a little better, in terms of possession. We lost a lot of balls and we brought them back in the game.
“But, I thought that the first game of the season, I was quite happy with the performance.”
Over in Durban, Arrows kicked-off their league campaign with a 2-0 loss at the hands of PSL newcomers Richards Bay at the Princess Magogo Stadium.
As far as the statistics are concerned, Arrows dominated the game, boasting around 70 per cent ball possession throughout the encounter.
Abafana Bes’thende also bossed the passes statistic, 604 to that of Richard Bay’s 271, while having an impressive passing accuracy of 80 per cent. In spite of their dominance, it was not to be for Arrows as the Natal Rich Boyz recorded maximum points.
“All in all it was an entertaining game that saw us doing well to keep possession and create scoring opportunities,” said the Arrows coach.
“In the end, none of them bore fruit. The closest we came was in the 27th minute when a cross to Mmodi on the near post, saw his header effort hit the upright.
“Richards Bay responded with a quick counter play from this and did well to get behind the defence where Ntsundwana opened the scoring.
“Coming back after the break we did well once again to use the spread of the ball, looking to penetrate the defence but we were just not able to finish with efforts from Moon, Ndwandwe and Khumalo missing the target.
“The side need to address a couple of things before they head off to play two games on the road, both at Peter Mokaba Stadium."
In the head-to-head battle, Sekhukhune and Arrows played each other on two occasions, with a 0-0 and 1-1 draw recorded in the 2021/22 league campaign.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
SEKHUKHUNE UNITED:
Edwin Gyimah: The defender put in a decent shift against Maritzburg this past weekend and could be an important player for Tembo this season. Known for his robust approach, Gyimah will have to contend with the Arrows height in attack.
Tshegofatso Mabasa: The attacker got his name on the scoresheet against the Team of Choice, which could come as a natural confidence booster. Mabasa’s energy and movement will be an asset in the attacking third.
GOLDEN ARROWS:
Ryan Moon: The lanky forward provides a strong focal point in attack for Arrows. Moon’s presence and striker’s movement in the 18 area could bring about questions to the Sekhukhune centre back pairing of Gyimah and Daniel Cardoso.
Divine Lunga:Lunga is a familiar face to Arrows, after he made the move to Mamelodi Sundowns last season. Now back on loan to his former club, Lunga will no doubt look to prove a point at every opportunity, which could come against Sekhukhune United.