Cape Town Spurs coach Shaun Bartlett hopes for a strong start to the first half of the 2023-24 DStv Premiership campaign, as the Urban Warriors prepare to take on TS Galaxy at the Mbombela Stadium on Sunday.

Kick-off is at 3:00pm (SA, GMT+2)

Despite having one of the lowest win tallies in the DStv Premiership last season (7), Galaxy managed to end up in 10th place on the log.

Under the guidance of coach Sead Ramovic, Galaxy often played an attractive brand of football but struggled to yield results, particularly in the second half of the campaign.

Since the turn of 2023, Galaxy recorded just four wins in the DStv Premiership, which came against Golden Arrows, AmaZulu, Richards Bay and Chippa United.

As the home side, TS Galaxy recorded four wins, six draws, and five losses in 15 games at the Mbombela Stadium last season. Also, the Rockets often struggled against Western Cape sides in recent times and failed to record a single win against Cape Town City (2 losses) and Stellenbosch FC ( 1 loss, 1 defeat) in the 2022-23 campaign.

WHAT THEY SAID

Speaking ahead of the tie, new TS Galaxy striker Thamsanqa Gabuza revealed that he is proud to be wearing the red of the Rockets for the upcoming campaign.

“It’s part of football [that I find myself at Galaxy],” Gabuza said.

“In everything that has happened, I don’t know what to say, but I am happy to be part of the Galaxy family, and as you can see, I am here. I am a player of TS Galaxy now.

“I am still a new player here, so it’s one step at a time. My aim obviously is just to win with the club. For me, it’s just about doing the normal thing, which is hard work. Without hard work, you can’t achieve anything.”

The Cape Town Spurs brand was formed in 1970 and competed in the National Professional Soccer League until 1984. The club then competed in the National Soccer League from 1985 and 1996, where they managed to complete a league and cup double (Bob Save Super Bowl) in 1995.

After securing PSL status at the end of the 2022-23 season, Spurs will now join City and Stellies as the third Western caped-based squad in the DStv Premiership.

Formerly known as Ajax Cape Town, the club will now play top-flight football for the first time since the 17/18 season, where they (Ajax Cape Town) finished bottom of the log due to a points deduction.

Nonetheless, Spurs gained promotion after winning the 2022-23 Motsepe Foundation playoffs, with Bartlett mentioning that the DStv Premiership is a step up in competition.

“We had a lot of competitive games (pre-season), practice games against various teams from Cape Town City, Stellenbosch to ABC teams in the Western Cape. It was all about progress and getting ready for the first game against Galaxy,” Bartlett said.

“Now it's about final touches before we leave for Joburg and we’re looking forward to an exciting season ahead.

“The first five games is going to be critical for us, three of those games being away from home and getting the players mentally prepared in order to deal with different scenarios and situations.

“Our players are aware of what we are up against, we know we have to step up another level in a different division of South African football but this is where we wanted to be.

“We will without a doubt try our best, fight for everything on the field and ensure that we get as many wins as possible in the first half of the season.”

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

TS Galaxy:

Thamsanqa Gabuza: Now 36, Gabuza has mileage on his legs as a seasoned PSL veteran. The powerful forward will be crucial to Sead Ramovic’s plans, especially in the first match where they will face a fearless Spurs outfit.

Xola Mlambo: Much like that of Gabuza, Mlambo is an experienced campaigner in the PSL. With Spurs known for keeping the ball, Mlambo will be in charge of disrupting Spurs’ passing movements, while providing a creative outlet in the final third.

Cape Town Spurs:

Keagan Buchanan: As one of the club’s marquee signings for the season, Buchanan will fit well into Bartlett’s possession-based brand of football. The midfielder will also be keen on getting back to his best again following a sour end to his time with AmaZulu last season.

Ashley Cupido: Cupido is deemed to be one of the best up-and-coming talents in South African football and was an influential figure for the Urban Warriors last season. Now in top-flight football, Cupido will hope to bank on his speed, power and box IQ against some of the land’s toughest opponents.