Chippa United coach Clinton Larsen expects to come up against a defiant AmaZulu that will be looking to steal maximum points from his team when the two sides meet in an Absa Premiership encounter at King Zwelithini Stadium in Umlazi on Saturday.
The Chilli Boys are coming off a morale- boosting 5-3 win (on penalties) against Bidvest Wits that saw the Port Elizabeth-based outfit qualify for the semifinals of the Nedbank Cup against Kaizer Chiefs.
However, in the Premier League, Larsen’s charges are currently hovering in the relegation zone, occupying position number 14 on the log standings, with 21 points.
AmaZulu also have a point to prove in the PSL campaign after suffering a 4-1 loss to Free State Stars last month, but Larsen said his charges were oozing confidence ahead of the crucial encounter against Usuthu.
“That positive result in our last game against Wits in the Nedbank Cup was a boost for us and the mood in the camp is very good at the moment,” said Larsen.
“We’ve played as a new group in the technical team and players – we’ve had 10 games so far. Seven league games, and three cup matches and we’ve only lost twice.”
The former Golden Arrows mentor said he has seen improvements in the way his players performed in every match.
“That makes the technical team very positive in knowing that results have been consistent – both in the league and in the cup tournament.
“So we are down to the final six games now and we are looking forward to trying to get as many points as we can from the remaining games.
“It’s important for us to get points so we can move away from bottom.”
Larsen said his immediate target was to get out of the bottom three places on the log, “and that’s exactly what we are trying to do.”
“Everybody is looking forward to the next match especially after such a good performance against Wits.
“We know it’s not going to be an easy game – AmaZulu are also under pressure to get results but we are going there to try and cause an upset. They are a solid unit – every player in that team fights for the club, so we expect a team that’s going to come out fighting for the three points, especially since they lost 4-1. In a nutshell we are preparing for a strong opponent.”
With club captain Mark Mayambela and vice-captain Andile Mbenyane and the likes of midfielder Ruzaigh Gamildien in the fold, Larsen will have a strong leadership pulling the strings on the pitch.
“We’ve only lost two games since I’ve been here and that’s the best record in the entire league.
“So we have to be positive that we are going to stay on top and make this a memorable season for the club,” Larsen added...