Wits look to avoid hat-trick of league losses

by Graeme Jackson

Friday Apr 20, 2018. 08:42

Bidvest Wits will be looking to avoid a hat-trick of Absa Premiership defeats when they host Polokwane City at Bidvest Stadium on 22 April 2018, kick-off at 15h00.

Wits suffered a second straight loss in the league when they were beaten 2-0 at Mamelodi Sundowns on April 14. The Johannesburg side had put together a run of nine matches unbeaten before that was broken with a 1-0 loss at Ajax Cape Town on April 11.

The Clever Boys have claimed just 15 points from 13 home matches this season, though their last game as hosts brought a 2-1 victory over Maritzburg United in early April.

Polokwane suffered a second defeat from their last three league matches when they were beaten 2-0 at Platinum Stars on April 7. The Limpopo side became the first team to lose to the basement dwellers since the turn of the year.

Rise and Shine have claimed 16 points from 13 away matches this season, though their last two games on the road have both ended in defeats: 1-2 at Maritzburg United on March 16 and 0-2 at Stars in their last outing.

In head-to-head stats, Polokwane and Wits have met in nine league matches since 2013/14. The Clever Boys have claimed four wins compared to one for Rise and Shine, while four matches have been drawn. The Johannesburg side has recorded two wins and one defeat from four games as hosts in the rivalry.

When the teams met earlier this season, they played to a 1-1 draw in Polokwane back in December 2017. Rodney Ramagalela’s opener was cancelled out by a late equaliser from Eleazar Rodgers to extend the Clever Boys’ unbeaten sequence in the rivalry to six games.

Wits’ line-up from their 2-0 loss to Sundowns on April 14: Keet, Frosler, Gyimah, Mkhwanazi, Ritchie, Monare, Ntshangase (Scott 46’), Pelembe, Claasen, Klate (Mosiatlhaga 46’), Majoro (Rodgers 69’).

Polokwane’s line-up from their 2-0 loss to Stars on April 7: Chigova, Ravhuhali, Sikhosana, Tshilo, Seabi, Manaka, J. Maluleke, Phiri (Mngomezulu 88’), Miya (Ndou 57’), Musona (Tlolane 75’), Ramagalela.