AmaZulu, Arrows in a rare top8 chase for KZN sides

THE GOALLESS stalemate that AmaZulu and Golden Arrows played in January was an anomaly, at least if last season’s results between the two teams are anything to go by.

This KwaZulu-Natal derby produced goals aplenty in the previous campaign and there’s every reason to anticipate the same fare when they lock horns this weekend.

After all, unlike at the beginning of the year when everything was still up in the air and the direction of the season was not that evident, there is much more to play for on Saturday.

Both clubs are in with a chance of making the top eight and they will be eager to secure their place in the season-opening tournament.

Good reason therefore to anticipate an encounter that will produce three if not four goals at the Mpumalanga Stadium on Saturday afternoon (3pm).

Their league clashes last season produced 3-1 victories for either side with Usuthu getting the upper hand by winning the Carling Knockout clash 3-0.

Who will reign supreme this time around?

Seventh-placed Usuthu have been blowing hot and cold lately, the results of their last five matches reading as lost, won, lost, lost and lost. It is a wretched run of form that coach Arthur Zwane will be looking to arrest as he seeks to convince club boss Sandile Zungu that he was right to entrust him with the responsibility of leading AmaZulu.

But the man fondly called 10111 faces a big test of his coaching acumen against a wily old tactician in the form of Arrows’ Manqoba Mngqithi – himself on a redemption mission of sorts both personally and for the club.

Fired from Mamelodi Sundowns early in the campaign, Mngqithi has done well enough to convince that he is a top coach and that the Brazilians were perhaps too hurried to send him packing.

He has turned the tide at an Arrows side that was dicing with relegation and has got them contending for the top eight.

They are currently in 10th place on the league table and are a mere four points behind Usuthu, Abafana bes’thende having played four matches less than their adversaries.

Win this one and they will be that much closer to participating in the MTN8 come the next campaign.

And given current form, the smart money should be on Arrows to prevail given they have lost just one of their last five matches, winning two and drawing the other two.

Football is fickle at the top though, particularly in the Betway Premiership where inconsistency is the order of the day, and predicting the outcome of matches is like attempting to tell dark blue from black in the dark – impossible.

What can be said for certain is that neither club wants a repeat of the first round goalless draw – it does them no favours in their quest for a top eight finish.