Richards Bay will be looking to build on their first win of the DStv Premiership season under Kaitano Tembo when they host Chippa United at the King Goodwill Zwelithini Stadium on Wednesday evening.
Kick-off is at 7:30pm CAT (SA, GMT+2)
The second-from-bottom Natal Rich Boyz edged Moroka Swallows 1-0 at the Dobsonville Stadium on Friday to hand Tembo his first victory since taking over the reins at the financially-stricken club in the off-season.
It halted a 19-match winless streak in the league stretching back to 22 January, with the KZN outfit having lost just three of their previous 16 games to challenge Mamelodi Sundowns for the title in the first half of the season.
Tembo was brought in to steady the ship in July after Richards Bay narrowly avoided relegation in 2022-23, although he has found the going tough due to financial restraints not allowing him to strengthen his squad.
The Zimbabwean tactician admits he has to work with what he's got for the time being and hopes to get the best out of his players in the months to come.
"I want to play more effective football, with a lot of energy, and I've seen that... so, that has been a huge motivating factor for me," Tembo said.
"Unfortunately we've got to do with what we have at the moment. I think what we need is a lot of coaching to try and improve the players that we have to get them to a better level.
"We don't have the finances to go out there and try and get players. We just have to work with the players that we have, and make sure that we are positive. We believe in them and will try and get the best out of them, then we'll get the results, hopefully."
'BELIEVE IN YOUNGSTERS'
The Chilli Boys are only one point better off than Richards Bay in 13th place after heading into the international break on the back of a 3-2 defeat against Royal AM.
Morgan Mammila has registered just one win in six matches since returning to the helm in the off-season - a 1-0 success over newly-promoted Cape Town Spurs on 25 August.
A second loss in three games led to Chippa owner Siviwe Mpengesi reaching out to Vusumuzi Vilakazi to aid the Eastern Cape club's efforts by appointing him as Technical Director.
Vilakazi, who left his role as Golden Arrows co-coach to take up the post at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, insists he has no aspirations to take over Mammila's job as he wants to help nurture the youth at Chippa.
"The reason why I chose to come here was because of the conversation I had with the chairman," he said. "Obviously coming here as a TD [Technical Director], not necessarily come here and look for Morgan's job, that's not what I wanted.
"The initial plan was that I need to move away from football just to take a break but the advantage in that was that [Mpengesi said] 'It's fine, even if you need a break please come into the system, be in the system so that we can help each other', that's the reason I came here.
"Above everything else was to help the development structure, which is something that is in my blood. I've spent five years in the development structures and I try to invest a lot because I believe in youngsters."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Richards Bay
Justice Figuareido: The 25-year-old Eswatini striker was a welcome addition to Tembo's squad in the off-season, bringing with him valuable top-flight experience after previously turning out for Maritzburg United and TS Galaxy in the DStv Premiership. Figuareido finally scored his first league goal to down Swallows and was a threat all evening with his run down the channels.
Chippa United
Stanley Nwabali: The 27-year-old Nigerian goalkeeper will be targeting an improved performance in midweek after he was at fault for at least two of Royal AM's three goals. Nwabali featured just six times in the league for Chippa last term, but has emerged as first choice in goal this season, keeping three clean sheets already.
