Cape Town - Rookies Richards Bay and Cape Town City have both enjoyed a glorious sequence of unbeaten streaks in the DStv Premiership, but that could end tonight at the King Goodwill Zwelithini Stadium in Umlazi (7.30pm kick-off).
Second-placed Richards Bay have surprised this season since their promotion from the first division. After 11 Premiership matches, they have produced eight clean sheets and have conceded only three goals. At the time of writing, 10 of the 16 teams had already conceded 10 or more goals.
City have enjoyed an unbeaten six-match Premiership streak after losing their opening three games. They have not been able to duplicate that form in the CAF Champions League preliminary round, and as a result, they bombed out of the continent’s elite club competition. They will live to fight another day in the continent’s second-tier tournament, the Confederation Cup. City will have their work cut out to score against Ugandan goalkeeper Salim Magoola, who has been a tower of strength in Richards Bay’s defence.
He is backed up by a rearguard that do not easily lose their shape.
The Khanyisa Mayo-Darwin Gonzalez strike partnership can be a potent one, and they are growing in stature.
Mayo has been lacking the edge when in promising positions, but he has done well to lose his markers.
He is the club’s leading scorer, and he is not afraid to try shots from outside the penalty area.
Alongside him, Venezuelan Gonzalez has been well marked, and that has given Mayo more freedom.
Gonzalez has settled for more of a creative role, with his penetrative attacks from the right channels and goalmouth crosses.
By now, City’s promising 20-year-old Cameroonian Brice Ambina has settled into the team, and it is just a matter of time before he makes an impact.
He’ll be looking to deliver an impressive performance to increase his chances of selection for Cameroon’s World Cup squad.
Darren Keet, City’s goalkeeper, has not been overly impressive, but he’ll be looking to confirm his standing as the team’s No 1 shotstopper. His distribution has let him down in recent outings.
Richards Bay also have a two-pronged attack in Somila Ntsundwana and Yanela Mbuthuma.
A few days ago, Ntsundwana picked up the Man-of-the Match award in the goalless draw against Maritzburg United.
This season, Mbuthuma has been playing mainly off the bench, but of late, he has forced his way into the run-on XI. He is an industrious attacker, and moves well by taking up positions where he is unmarked.
Meanwhile, following yesterday’s draw at CAF headquarters in Cairo, City will play Algeria’s champion side USMA in the Confederation Cup. The first leg is scheduled for November 2 in Cape Town and the return leg in Algeria on November 9.
The aggregate winners will advance to the group stages of the Confederation Cup.
@Herman_Gibbs