Cape Town - Cape Town City’s almost non-stop conveyor belt of fixtures continues on Tuesday evening when they host Sekhukhune United in the DStv Premiership at the Athlone Stadium (7.30pm kick-off).
City’s hectic schedule is due to their maiden participation in the CAF Champions League, with their campaign set to begin against Congolese outfit Otoho D'oyo FC in the first leg preliminary round clash on Saturday.
However, before Eric Tinkler’s side can focus on their African adventures they need to take care of their business at home against the Babina Noko.
Fortunately for City, the upshot about playing a string of fixtures in close proximity, especially when in-form, is that as a team you are able to build up a bit of momentum. And ‘s exactly what City have done over the past four league matches.
Bar the MTN8 quarter-final defeat to AmaZulu, the Citizens have picked up the pace in the DStv Premiership with two draws against Maritzburg United and Stellenbosch, while picking up maximum points against Kaizer Chiefs and TS Galaxy.
Those victories over Chiefs and Galaxy were crucial as it provided City with their first home and away wins of the season after a sluggish start in the first three matches.
Crucial to this upturn in fortunes has been the form of frontmen Khanyisa Mayo and Darwin Gonzalez. Both strikers already have three goals each thus far in the league, while Moyo also netted in the 2-1 defeat to AmaZulu in the MTN8.
Moyo, in particular, has not only contributed in the goalscoring department, but is also full of running and energy upfront, having put in an industrious shift against Galaxy to pick up the Player of the Match award.
“I can say we’re back,” Mayo said confidently. “The guys have been putting in the work. The coach has been giving us information to work hard.
“It was a tough one. We had to dig deep. We had to grind results. We started badly at the beginning of the season, but we are starting to pick up results now. It was a tough one.”
The 24-year-old knows the hard grind does not let up with City eager to take another three points off Sekhukune, who are currently joint bottom of the league.
The visitors' lowly position should, however, not be a determining factor for Kaitano Tembo’s side does possess quality, grit and tenacity as they showed in the 1-1 draw with champions Mamelodi Sundowns earlier this season.
“As a team we have to be consistent. If we’re consistent we are going to get the results. We haven't been playing bad football, but we haven’t been getting the results. It shows when we put in the effort we get the results,” Mayo said.
IOL Sport