As a team sandwiched between the big boys in the DStv Premiership, Golden Arrows will turn their attention to Stellenbosch FC in the league this week, with the tie set to take place at the Mpumalanga Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Kick-off is at 3:00pm (SA, GMT+2)
ABafana Bes’Thende head into their next game on the back of two consecutive victories in the DStv Premiership, which included a surprise 3-0 away victory against a star-studded SuperSport United outfit.
Arrows’ form sheet makes for good reading so far this season, picking up three victories, one draw and one defeat in the five league games played.
As it stands, the Durban-based club currently occupy second spot on the DStv Premiership table, as a result of their impressive start to the campaign.
In what was news that made headlines in local football recently, Arrows fans were left stunned as coach Vusumuzi Vilakazi left the club to join Chippa United as their new technical director during the International break.
Speaking on the move, defender Thabani Zuku mentioned that the players did not expect Vilakazi to leave the club so suddenly.
“I can say that it affected us a bit because to work with someone for a long time and when he leaves like that, where we didn’t expect it, had an impact,” Zuke said.
“But that he left during the Fifa break, we had time to go all through that and recover. I can say we were not okay as a team because we didn’t know as players. We were a bit worried because we didn’t expect him to leave.
“He has been with the club for many years, so it was a surprise to all of us. Maybe he had his reasons why he left.”
Unlike that of Arrows, Stellies find themselves on a bad run of form, recording three straight defeats in all competitions.
Prior to Stellenbosch's 2-1 defeat against Orlando Pirates in the MTN8 semifinals, Steve Barker's charges suffered back-to-back losses against Kaizer Chiefs and SuperSport United in the DStv Premiership.
Sitting in 11th spot on the log, Stellies recorded three defeats and two wins in their last five league matches. However, the Winelands outfit do have the slight upperhand in the head-to-head count.
In the last handful of matches between the two sides, Stellies’ picked up two wins, with three draws shared during this period.
With the tie in mind, Barker spoke of his delight at being a double centurion for Stellenbosch and reiterated that the club is in a good space.
“It’s been a rollercoaster ride but I’m very proud to have been the head coach of this special club for 200 matches,” Barker said.
“We are in a good space, but we must ensure that we do everything we can to get to that next level.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
Golden Arrows:
Ryan Moon: The lanky forward has been a star turner for Arrows in the last couple of games and got his name on the scoresheet during Arrows 3-0 win over SuperSport. Stellenbosch will have to be wary of Moon's darting runs into the area, while he also provides an aerial threat at set-piece situations.
Stellebosch FC:
Iqraam Rayners: With seven goals in 10 matches to his name in all competitions, Rayners has been a revelation for Stellies yet again this season. Arrows will no doubt pay keen attention to Rayners this weekend, given his ability to find favourable attacking positions in the final third.
