Arrows confident of sinking the Buccaneers

Mandla Ncikazi (Head Coach) of Golden Arrows

Wednesday Jan 20, 2021. 13:00

Golden Arrows are confident of continuing their unbeaten start to the 2020-21 DStv Premiership season, according to coach Mandla Ncikazi.

Arrows are one of just three teams which have yet to taste defeat this season, alongside Mamelodi Sundowns and Swallows FC.

Abafana Bes’thende will be aiming to remain in that exclusive club when they face hosts Orlando Pirates in Soweto late this afternoon.

The Buccaneers would ordinarily start as strong favourites, but a surprise weekend loss to Black Leopards and a run of just one win in their last four league games means they have something of a cloud hovering over them.

Despite this, Ncikazi is still wary of the threat offered by Pirates: “A tough match against tough opponents, Pirates are a good team, a playing team. Maybe lets not read anything from their previous result,” he is quoted by Goal.

“The only threat with them, they can change the formation, many a time in one match. And also the personnel. I’m not sure what will happen after the [Leopards] loss, whether they will change personnel, whether they will change the formation.

“But with Pirates, just expect a tough match irrespective of what happened with them. But mainly I focus on our team, we are prepared to defend well. And if we defend well and use the ball well, come out cleanly in attack, we are going to get a positive result. I’m confident, based on what I have seen thus far in our team.”

Last season the teams played out successive 0-0 draws in their league meetings, with stalemates at the Orlando Stadium in August 2019 and at the Sugar Ray Xulu Stadium in March 2020. The last six league meetings of Arrows and Pirates have produced just four goals.