So far, so good - the season in numbers
11 November 2014
With a third of the season gone, we take a look at how the Team of Choice has shaped up so far.
With 10 matches played in the league, Steve Komphela’s side are sitting fourth on the Absa Premiership table. They have won four matches, drawn four, and lost two, for a total of 16 points.
With 14 goals scored, Maritzburg are the league’s joint second highest goal-scoring club, while their seven goals conceded makes them the third best defensive unit in the division.
At the same stage last season, United had 12 points on the board, having scored seven goals and conceded eight.
An important factor perhaps in United’s fortunes has been the consistency shown by captain Ashley Hartog, who is the only player to have featured in every single minute of every single game this term – the former SuperSport United midfielder already having chalked up close to 1000 minutes of game-time this season!
Defender Abel Mabaso has also been a mainstay in the team, featuring in all but 90 minutes of the action his side have played in this season.
Rookie midfielder Mondli Cele has also made his presence felt; Cele has featured in all 11 games (league and cup) played by the Team of Choice this season, having made the starting line-up for seven of those matches.
Cele has also chipped in with two goals, as have several other players as the goals have been spread evenly amongst the squad. Also with two goals to their name this campaign are Terrance Mandaza, Mohamed Anas and Kwanda Mngomyama.
Nhalanhla Vilakazi, Kurt Lentjies, Abdel Mabaso, Mohammed Awal, Sheldon van Wyk and Mohau Mokate have also been on the score-sheet.
In defence, John Paintsill has been a pillar of strength and has formed a solid partnership with Mngomyama. The Ghana international has started in and played every minute of the Team of Choice’s last eight games.
For the time being at least, there has been a changing of the guard in the goalkeeping department where some excellent performances from Virgil Vries have seen him starting eight of 11 matches.
Maritzburg’s impressive start is made all the more considerable by the fact that they have achieved this with a host of new players at the club, some of which are playing their first season in the Absa Premiership.
Apart from the aforementioned Cele, the likes of Mohamed Anas, Khumbulani Banda, Sheldon van Wyk and Mohau Mokate have all acquited themselves well in their first season’s in the top flight of South African football.
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