Durban - Lamontville Golden Arrows started the season with a bang by beating their bitter rivals, Maritzburg United at Harry Gwala Stadium in Pietermaritzburg. Now they are planning to finish the season on a high against their sworn rivals, AmaZulu.
The two sides will meet at King Zwelithini Stadium in Umlazi in the KwaZulu-Natal derby on December 22.
Abafana Bes'thende shot down the Team of Choice in their opening fixture of the season, thanks to goals from Knox Mutizwa and Lerato Lamola.
Arrows wants to end the season the way they started it, said coach Clinton Larsen.
"It will be good to win two derbies in the first round. It will be nice to finish the first round the way we started it. We started well against Maritzburg United in our first game of the season and we want to finish the first round strong with a victory," Larsen said.
Usuthu failed to register a victory against the Team of Choice in their first derby of the season. They shared the spoils in a 0-0 stalemate at King Zwelithini Stadium.
"The KZN derby is growing. People always complain that the Soweto Derby has lost it spark. The KZN derby always produce goals and entertaining matches," he said.
Usuthu are languishing at the foot of the table but Larsen is not taking them for granted.
"AmaZulu are doing well. They are improving as a team. It is so unfortunate what happened to them with points (they were docked six points). They fight. There's a lot of quality in that team," Larsen said.
Arrows are looking to make it a double in derby matches this season.
"It is all about the bragging rights. We want to finish on a high. It is very important to make our own supporters proud in our last game of the first round. We want to finish in a respectable position," Larsen concluded.
Match day experience for soccer fans: Kick For A Million
To build on the success of the competition from last season, Absa is once again changing many lives through the Kick for Million competition throughout the 2018/19 Absa Premiership season.
On match day, six fans are chosen ahead of the start of the game at the respective stadium to kick against an Absa Premiership legendary goalkeeper in a sudden death competition during halftime.
At the end of the contest, each runner-up will receive R1,000 and the winner of the round will take home R5,000.
The winner of the final round then automatically becomes a finalist to Kick for a Million at the trophy handover match at the end of the season in May 2019.
In the build-up to the Saturday's Durban derby, Absa will host roadshows in Umlazi on Thursday, December 20 at Mega City Mall from 1pm to 5pm and Friday, December 21 at Eyadini Lounge from 3pm – 5pm.
And on match day, Absa will be bringing fans the ultimate match day experience through the Woza Nazo Absa Red Zone, where over a 1 000 soccer fans will get access to an exclusive area where there will be entertainment, food, refreshments and Woza Nazo merchandise ahead of the match.
The Absa Red Zone will be located on the outer field at King Zwelithini stadium, and open from 12pm until 2.30pm on December 22.
* This article was published in partnership with Absa.