Richards Bay FC coach Kaitano Tembo has urged his side to bury their goal-scoring chances as the Natal Rich Boyz prepare to take on Orlando Pirates in the DStv Premiership at the King Zwelithini Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Kick-off is at 3:30pm (SA, GMT+2)
The Natal Rich Boyz are among the worst performing teams in the league during the 2023/24 campaign and currently occupy 15th spot on the table.
Tembo’s side accumulated just nine points from 12 matches played so far, bagging two wins and three draws along the way.
🚨 𝗡𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 🚨
— Richards Bay FC (@RichardsBayFC_) November 20, 2023
🏆#DSTVPrem
📅 Saturday 25 November 2023
🆚 Orlando Pirates FC
🏟 King Zwelithini Stadium
🕒 15h30
📺 SS PSL & SABC 1
🎟 Tickets are now available at Ticketpro outlets R100 General Admission
📱 https://t.co/KDvOr7iVg6#NatalRichBoyZ pic.twitter.com/VuPyYNd6Eb
In fact, Richards Bay go into their next game on the back of a morale boosting 1-0 win over Cape Town Spurs, with Thato Mohlamme’s 72nd minute effort separating the two sides earlier this month.
With the Pirates clash in mind, Tembo has stressed the importance of scoring the first goal against Pirates, with the view of putting themselves in a position where chasing the game is not needed.
“Scoring is the most important thing, Tembo said.
“When you score goals, you can manage the game, you can protect [the goals scored] knowing that you have something in there, but when you are always chasing the game, then that becomes a problem.
“So playing against Pirates, I think we need to try and score first and be able to manage the game.”
Despite much success in Cup competitions this season, Pirates struggled to yield positive results on a consistent basis in the DStv Premiership.
However, the Soweto giants recently recorded two wins on the trot for the first time this season, with their 1-0 victory over Kaizer Chiefs in the Soweto Derby being one of their most notable results of the current campaign.
Sitting in seventh spot on the log, Pirates bagged a below-par 15 points from 10 games so far and will hope to maintain their winning momentum against Richards Bay.
According to Bucs coach Jose Riveiro, playing in high profile Cup competitions have conditioned his side to perform in high pressure situations.
“We are proving ourselves in these types of games – the players are proving themselves when we play the final and big games. We give a good level of competitiveness,” Riveiro said after the Soweto Derby.
“These games are like finals, you cannot expect to play good football. Maybe if we manage to score the second goal, you can expect to see something else.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
Richards Bay:
Yanela Mbuthuma: Tembo’s plea to his attackers to put away their chances will no doubt ring in Mbuthuma’s ears ahead of the Pirates clash. Also, with his ability to drag defenders out of position, Mbuthuma will no doubt have the Bucs defence on high alert throughout the 90 minutes.
Orlando Pirates:
Karim Kimvuidi: The skilful midfielder has consistently showcased his class when called upon this season, especially as an impact player off the bench. Kimvuidi’s strong running and technical ability on the ball can cause harm to the opposition midfield.