CLIVE Barker has said that the 4-0 drubbing suffered by Black Aces against Kaizer Chiefs in the MTN8 quarterfinal just over a week ago was not a fair assessment of what his men can offer this season. He was short of personnel, he argued yesterday.
The two sides play again tonight in an Absa Premiership clash at the Mbombela Stadium, and Barker expects an improved performance from what will be a changed line-up.
Abia Nale, Collins Mbesuma and Edwin Gyimah, who were all missing in Aces’ humiliation at Soccer City, are now available.
“I would be very disappointed if we lost the game,” said Barker.
“ was an unfair look at our team. We planned to face them with all our foreign players and, late into our preparations, we were told we will be without them and therefore lost our advantage. But now we have Abia, Edwin and Collins, whose fitness we are happy with at the moment, ready to play.”
The coach said Aces would have to overcome a mental challenge “in the opening 20 minutes” because of the heavy thumping in the cup competition.
Chiefs carried on the momentum by earning a 1-0 victory against Free State Stars on a Charles Mopeli Stadium pitch resembling a cabbage patch, while Aces could only walk away with a point from their clash opener against Bloemfontein Celtic at the weekend.
Stuart Baxter admitted Amazayoni would be a tricky outfit the second time around. “They will still play possession football and they usually like playing more with the ball. They will have some of their foreign players in their team and they will pack some firepower in their new recruit Mbesuma upfront. Our lads approached the cup game very well, but it’s all history now.” .
He added that Amakhosi will still be without striker Bernard Parker and Siphiwe Tshabalala, with the latter due to return in a weeks’ time. Parker will still sit on the sidelines for another month.
• After an opening weekend where both KwaZulu-Natal sides drew blanks against their respective opponents, Maritzburg United and AmaZulu will have tougher tasks against teams that were surprise winners.
AmaZulu have a daunting trip to the Dobsonville Stadium to face Moroka Swallows, while Maritzburg United host Polokwane City at the Harry Gwala Stadium tonight.
Swallows and Polokwane were unlikely winners over the weekend and will prove to be confident and tough adversaries.
Swallows have been widely tipped as relegation candidates after tailing off badly last season, but in their original Soweto Derby against Orlando Pirates they somehow contrived to win a fixture they had no business winning. Their 2-1 win was one of utter dominance by Pirates undermined by the inability to convert their chances came back to haunt the hosts when Lerato Chabangu came out of nowhere to snaffle an undeserved win for the Birds.
AmaZulu were guilty of the very same crime against Ajax Cape Town on Sunday in their drab goalless draw at the Moses Mabhida Stadium. If Swallows maintain their ability to soak up pressure they will be a difficult proposition to deal with. — Additional reporting by Khanyiso Tshwaku
Aces out to scalp Amakhosi
The two sides play again tonight in an Absa Premiership clash at the Mbombela Stadium, and Barker expects an improved performance from what will be a changed line-up.
Abia Nale, Collins Mbesuma and Edwin Gyimah, who were all missing in Aces’ humiliation at Soccer City, are now available.
“I would be very disappointed if we lost the game,” said Barker.
“ was an unfair look at our team. We planned to face them with all our foreign players and, late into our preparations, we were told we will be without them and therefore lost our advantage. But now we have Abia, Edwin and Collins, whose fitness we are happy with at the moment, ready to play.”
The coach said Aces would have to overcome a mental challenge “in the opening 20 minutes” because of the heavy thumping in the cup competition.
Chiefs carried on the momentum by earning a 1-0 victory against Free State Stars on a Charles Mopeli Stadium pitch resembling a cabbage patch, while Aces could only walk away with a point from their clash opener against Bloemfontein Celtic at the weekend.
Stuart Baxter admitted Amazayoni would be a tricky outfit the second time around. “They will still play possession football and they usually like playing more with the ball. They will have some of their foreign players in their team and they will pack some firepower in their new recruit Mbesuma upfront. Our lads approached the cup game very well, but it’s all history now.” .
He added that Amakhosi will still be without striker Bernard Parker and Siphiwe Tshabalala, with the latter due to return in a weeks’ time. Parker will still sit on the sidelines for another month.
• After an opening weekend where both KwaZulu-Natal sides drew blanks against their respective opponents, Maritzburg United and AmaZulu will have tougher tasks against teams that were surprise winners.
AmaZulu have a daunting trip to the Dobsonville Stadium to face Moroka Swallows, while Maritzburg United host Polokwane City at the Harry Gwala Stadium tonight.
Swallows and Polokwane were unlikely winners over the weekend and will prove to be confident and tough adversaries.
Swallows have been widely tipped as relegation candidates after tailing off badly last season, but in their original Soweto Derby against Orlando Pirates they somehow contrived to win a fixture they had no business winning. Their 2-1 win was one of utter dominance by Pirates undermined by the inability to convert their chances came back to haunt the hosts when Lerato Chabangu came out of nowhere to snaffle an undeserved win for the Birds.
AmaZulu were guilty of the very same crime against Ajax Cape Town on Sunday in their drab goalless draw at the Moses Mabhida Stadium. If Swallows maintain their ability to soak up pressure they will be a difficult proposition to deal with. — Additional reporting by Khanyiso Tshwaku
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