AmaZulu, Arrows in battle for lucrative Top 8 spot

AmaZulu FC will go head-to-head with Lamontville Golden Arrows at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in their last DStv Premiership match of the season on Saturday.

Kick-off is at 3:30 pm CAT.

CURRENT FORM

Usuthu are undefeated in their last three matches having snapped a three-match winless run when they secured a 1-0 victory over Sekhukhune United away on 18 May.

AmaZulu are occupying the ninth spot in the DStv Premiership standings - level on points with eighth-placed Kaizer Chiefs and three points behind fifth-placed SuperSport United.

Meanwhile, Arrows stretched their winless run to eight matches when they drew 1-1 with Cape Town Spurs at home on 18 May and it was also their third successive draw.

Arrows are occupying the 11th spot in the DStv Premiership standings - a point behind eighth-placed Chiefs with the battle to finish in the Top 8 set to take centre stage.

TEAM NEWS

AmaZulu and Arrows have no suspension concerns coming into this eagerly anticipated KwaZulu Natal Derby encounter.

WHAT WAS SAID?

AmaZulu FC winger Mondli Mbanjwa

"Judging from the last game that we played against Sekhukhune, I think we are very much ready for our next game against Golden Arrows," Mbanjwa said.

"We are preparing well this week. We know that in the previous games we have done well against Arrows. Away we beat [3-1] them and we also beat them [3-0] in the Carling Knockout."

Golden Arrows playmaker Nduduzi Sibiya

"It's been two seasons in a row that we have missed the Top 8, so we don't want that to happen again this season," Sibiya said.

"We are working very hard to fix that [scoring] problem because it is the one that has contributed to us not being able to win some of the games that we should have won."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Tshepang Moremi, AmaZulu: The 23-year-old attacker was the hero against Sekhukhune as he scored the only goal of the match, and he will be looking to propel Usuthu to their second successive victory.

Ryan Moon, Golden Arrows: The tall striker will be motivated after ending his goal drought when he netted against Spurs and he will be confident of finding the back of the net when he faces AmaZulu.

Head-to-Head

LAST 10 LEAGUE RESULTS

Season Result Scorers

2018/19 Arrows 1-1 AmaZulu Lunga; Ouro-Akoriko

2019/20 Arrows 1-1 AmaZulu Sibiya (pen); Ntuli (pen)

2019/20 AmaZulu 1-2 Arrows Sithebe; Mutizwa 2 (1 pen)

2020/21 AmaZulu 0-2 Arrows Sibiya (pen), Ndwandwe

2020/21 Arrows 0-1 AmaZulu Memela

2021/22 Arrows 2-2 AmaZulu Mutizwa (pen), Mathiane; Mlambo, Ntuli (pen)

2021/22 AmaZulu 1-2 Arrows Maduna; Ndwandwe, Sibiya (pen)

2022/23 AmaZulu 0-1 Arrows Mmodi

2022/23 Arrows 1-0 AmaZulu Ndlovu

2023/24 Arrows 1-3 AmaZulu Shitolo; Kwem 3

LEAGUE RECORD (since 2001/02)

Home

P W D L GF GA

AmaZulu 16 6 3 7 14 14

Arrows 17 7 3 7 23 21

Away

P W D L GF GA

AmaZulu 17 7 3 7 21 23

Arrows 16 7 3 6 14 14