Arrows chase hat-trick of wins

by Graeme Jackson

Friday Apr 12, 2019. 04:03

Golden Arrows will chase a hat-trick of Absa Premiership wins when they host local rivals AmaZulu at Sugar Ray Xulu Stadium on 14 April 2019, kick-off at 15h00.

Arrows claimed a second successive 1-0 win when they overcame Cape Town City in Claremont on April 6, with Lerato Lamola netting the only goal late in the game.

Abafana Bes’thende have claimed 17 points from 12 home matches this season, recording five wins, two draws and five defeats as hosts.

AmaZulu suffered a fourth defeat from their last five league matches when they were beaten 1-0 at home by Chippa United on April 6. It was just their second home defeat of the 2018/19 campaign.

Usuthu have claimed just nine points from 12 away matches this season, with their last result on the road a 4-1 loss at Free State Stars in mid-March.

In head-to-head stats, Arrows and AmaZulu have met in 23 league matches since 2001/02. Usuthu have claimed 11 wins compared to nine for Abafana Bes’thende, while three matches have been drawn. The team clad in gold and green has recorded six wins and five defeats from 11 matches as hosts in this rivalry.

When the teams met earlier this season, at King Zwelithini Stadium in December 2018, AmaZulu claimed a 2-0 win thanks to a brace of goals from Bonginkosi Ntuli. Usuthu have won five of their last six league meetings with Arrows.

Arrows’ line-up from their 1-0 win over Cape Town City on April 6: Mbaeva, Sibisi, Bilankulu, Mzava, Lunga, Mathenjwa (Mutizwa 57’), S. Dube (Jooste 69’), Phiri, Venter, Matloga, Sibeko.

AmaZulu’s line-up from their 1-0 loss to Chippa on April 6: Mbatha, M.Gumede, Mabiliso, Ouro-Akoriko, Nyongo (van Heerden 33'), Morton, Ncube, Vilakazi (Karuru 69'), Sithebe, Chawapihwa, Ntuli (Cele 74').