GOLDEN Arrows assistant coach Mandla Ncikazi says they’ll have to be sharper to stop Kaizer Chiefs from their free-flow kind of football, and goal-scoring form.
Amakhosi are the team to beat this season as they comfortably lead the summit of the Absa Premiership with 42 points, which is seven more than second placed Mamelodi Sundowns.
Arrows welcome Chiefs at Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday (3.30pm) in their quest to retain their top eight position on the log.
Chiefs’ last four goals were scored from set play or headers, and this is what Arrows coach Steve Komphela must guard against.
Against Cape Town City on 12 January, Leonardo Castro, Samir Nurkovic and Eric Mathoho all scored with headers – two from corner kicks.
In their league match against Black Leopards last weekend, Mathoho scored when he knocked in a header from a corner kick.
“Credit must be given to them for having players like Castro and Nurkovic,” said Ncikazi.
“I believe 90% of their goals came from standard situations. When you have the ball, don’t lose it, don’t give them much space to play, again play as far away from your box as possible.
“And don’t create many fouls around the box in order to win against Chiefs. If we can get those tactics right, there’s a strong possibility that Arrows will win the game.”
The last time Arrows played at the Moses Mabhida Stadium was in 2017 when they defeated Orlando Pirates.
Arrows chairperson Mato Madlala confirmed last year that this match will be played at the iconic 2010 Fifa World Cup instead of the Sugar Xulu Stadium in Clermont.
This will certainly be in Chiefs’ favour who use the stadium as their second home ground.
Ncikazi admitted that it is not ideal for them to play at Moses Mabhida, but they’ll have to deal with it.
“It was strictly a management issue,” Ncikazi explains.
“We were not exactly told why we’re moving to Moses Mabhida.”
Ironically, the last time Komphela was at the Moses Mabhida Stadium was when his former club Chiefs lost 2-0 to Free State Stars in the Nedbank Cup semifinal – a result that saw him lose his job at Amakhosi.
