Johannesburg - Early season surprise package Royal AM will be looking to cement their pole position in the league standings as they host KwaZulu-Natal rivals Richards Bay at the Chatsworth Stadium in Durban on Tuesday afternoon.
Thwihli Thwahla went to the top of the league following their 2-1 win over Sekhukhune United last weekend combined with Orlando Pirates’ surprise 1-0 defeat at the hands of Maritzburg United.
The win for Royal AM against Sekhukhune was their second league victory on the trot as they recorded a win over Maritzburg United two weeks ago.
There is no doubt that Dan Malesela’s Royal AM has exceeded the expectations of most people so far this season. The team impressed last season, finishing third. However, they had an off season filled with trouble as they lost last season’s top scorer Victor Letsoalo as well as coach John Maduka.
In addition to this, the CEO of the club Sinky Mnisi also went on “special leave” after controversially hosting a press conference in Johannesburg in his personal capacity, despite the fact that the club is based in KwaZulu-Natal.
It appears that the duo of Andre de Jong and Mfundo Thikazi have stepped up to fill the void that was created by the departure of Letsoalo at Royal AM. New Zealand international, whose signing from AmaZulu was viewed as a gamble, has scored three times in the league. Meanwhile, it was Thikazi’s brace that earned the team their win over Sekhukhune.
However, Richards Bay will be no pushovers for the Chatsworth Stadium based club. The Natal Rich Boys have so far held their own in their debut top-flight season. They sit fifth in the league with 10 points from six games which includes an impressive three wins.
Richards Bay’s performances are impressive in the context of this being their debut top-flight season. Their mandate for this season would have been to just avoid the drop. If they can continue at this rate, they should comfortably fend off relegation.
A win for the Rich Boys in this game could also likely propel them into the top three of the log. Should Pitso Dladla’s men win the game, it will not only help them prove that they can compete against any side in the league but also be a major confidence boost as the club negotiates the rest of the season. Confidence for the newbies will be vital if they hope to achieve consistency in the top-flight.
IOL Sport