Mthatha Bucks will be looking to break a series of draws coupled with some losses when they take on Uthongathi at the Mthatha Stadium on Saturday.
Amathol’amnyama have experienced a difficult second round in the National First Division, after having started well with their league campaign.
At start of the season, Bucks were campaigning for promotion to the PSL, but were quickly on the backfoot however, as they struggled to get the desired results.
The team’s performance on the pitch might have improved since former Bloemfontein Celtic’s head of development joined Bucks, but it’s sad to say that has not been the case as far as results are concerned. Bucks are fresh from a 1-0 loss to Ubuntu Cape Town at Athlone Stadium last week.
Ubuntu have surprised many as they have managed to recover from the basement of the table. They are now sitting in 12th position on 24 points while Bucks remain on 20 points.
Bucks’ defender Mashale Rantabane said even though things have not been going as planned, they could still earn much-needed points from the seven remaining games to avoid relegation from the NFD.
“Everything is going to be okay, at least we had a weekend off. Whereby we got a chance to rest and reflect on the game we played last week.
“We are going to bounce back stronger,” said Rantabane.
“The coach has been speaking to us and motivating us and I think it’s time now we see a different Mthatha Bucks.
“We are just going to play this game like we are playing a final of a cup competition, because this is the game that will give us momentum going forward in the league.
“And we have to win this game at all costs and get the three points that we need here at home.”
Rantabane, who was awarded the man-of-the-match blazer when Bucks lost to AmaZulu in the Nedbank Cup last-32 stage on penalties last month, said there was still time and hoped to lift themselves out of the relegation zone.
“We are going to recover from this position because we still in the game, and it’s a matter of winning one or two games.
“When we manage to do that we’ll be out of the relegation zone and the better part of it, is that we are going to play the teams in the relegation zone.
“And another positive is they are coming here at home to us, and we have to win them all and that gives us an opportunity to bounce back.”
The experienced defender said that Bucks were out of the playoffs race this season.
“We started well, but we didn’t keep our momentum, but that’s one of the lessons we have learnt this season. The way we started we could have finished even higher.
“Of which if we could have done that we could have been in the top three teams by now,” said Rantabane.
Bucks will go full-tilt to avoid the quicksand
Amathol’amnyama have experienced a difficult second round in the National First Division, after having started well with their league campaign.
At start of the season, Bucks were campaigning for promotion to the PSL, but were quickly on the backfoot however, as they struggled to get the desired results.
The team’s performance on the pitch might have improved since former Bloemfontein Celtic’s head of development joined Bucks, but it’s sad to say that has not been the case as far as results are concerned. Bucks are fresh from a 1-0 loss to Ubuntu Cape Town at Athlone Stadium last week.
Ubuntu have surprised many as they have managed to recover from the basement of the table. They are now sitting in 12th position on 24 points while Bucks remain on 20 points.
Bucks’ defender Mashale Rantabane said even though things have not been going as planned, they could still earn much-needed points from the seven remaining games to avoid relegation from the NFD.
“Everything is going to be okay, at least we had a weekend off. Whereby we got a chance to rest and reflect on the game we played last week.
“We are going to bounce back stronger,” said Rantabane.
“The coach has been speaking to us and motivating us and I think it’s time now we see a different Mthatha Bucks.
“We are just going to play this game like we are playing a final of a cup competition, because this is the game that will give us momentum going forward in the league.
“And we have to win this game at all costs and get the three points that we need here at home.”
Rantabane, who was awarded the man-of-the-match blazer when Bucks lost to AmaZulu in the Nedbank Cup last-32 stage on penalties last month, said there was still time and hoped to lift themselves out of the relegation zone.
“We are going to recover from this position because we still in the game, and it’s a matter of winning one or two games.
“When we manage to do that we’ll be out of the relegation zone and the better part of it, is that we are going to play the teams in the relegation zone.
“And another positive is they are coming here at home to us, and we have to win them all and that gives us an opportunity to bounce back.”
The experienced defender said that Bucks were out of the playoffs race this season.
“We started well, but we didn’t keep our momentum, but that’s one of the lessons we have learnt this season. The way we started we could have finished even higher.
“Of which if we could have done that we could have been in the top three teams by now,” said Rantabane.
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