Mngqithi begins his mission
Mngqithi begins his mission
Posted: 2010-08-27 15:03
AmaZulu's new coach Manqoba Mngqithi begins his mission to lift Usuthu into the top half of the League on Sunday when his side takes on Maritzburg United in a KwaZulu-Natal derby at the Moses Mabhida Stadium.
Kick-off is at 15h00.
AmaZulu just missed out on finishing in the top half of the League table last season, coming home in ninth place on 39 points, three adrift of eighth-placed Moroka Swallows.
Maritzburg United came home in 11th place last season, amassing 35 points from their 30 league matches. They were four points behind AmaZulu but three points ahead of Golden Arrows in the KwaZulu-Natal ‘mini-league'.
The Team of Choice has retained German coach Ernst Middendorp and they will hope for a more consistent showing in the new season, with the hope that they can finish in the top ten.
In head-to-head stats, AmaZulu have yet to claim a League victory against Maritzburg United in six meeting since the start of the 2006/07 season.
Last term, Maritzburg won both home and away against AmaZulu. In fact, the away game for United saw them claim a 1-0 victory in the first competitive match played at the Moses Mabhida Stadium.
However, AmaZulu can take heart from the fact that they beat Maritzburg in the first round of both post-league cup competitions last seasons – the teams' two most recent meetings –both by a 1-0 score line.
Sunday's second League clash sees Mpumalanga Black Aces and Platinum Stars clash at the Puma Rugby Stadium. Kick-off at 15h00.
Aces finished in 15th place in last season's campaign and had to win the Promotion/Relegation Playoff in order to maintain their top flight status.
AmaZayoni have recruited a host of new players in the off season and will be hoping for a much stronger showing in the 2010/11 campaign.
Stars finished in 14th place in last season's League race – they may have been just one position above the danger zone but they did have a five-point buffer to Aces in 15th.
Dinaledi have brought back coach Owen da Gama to take the reins. Da Gama spent the last 20 months or so at Bloemfontein Celtic, first saving the club from relegation in 2009 and then leading them to a sixth-place finish in the League last season.
In head-to-head stats, Aces and Stars have met just twice: their League encounters from the 2009/10 season.
The first game between the clubs, a home fixture for Aces, ended in a 1-1 draw after Sibusiso Themba and Alton Meiring scored for AmaZayoni and Dinaledi respectively.
The return match hosted by Stars ended in a 1-0 defeat for the home team, with Aces' Mpho Maleka scoring the only goal of the game.
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