The Team of Choice beat Chippa 1-0 at the Harry Gwala Stadium in September, and overall have a good record against the Chilli Boys, with five wins, six draws and two losses in 13 matches.
However, in the corresponding away fixture last season Maritzburg lost 2-0, and another factor is that the Eastern Cape side have been in excellent form under new coach Norman Mapeza, with four wins in their last six league appearances.
“Chippa have turned their season around – they’ve come off some very good results of late. So it’s going to be a very tough game,” Maritzburg United head coach Eric Tinkler conceded.
The Team of Choice though have been in pretty decent form themselves recently, with two wins and three draws in their last five Absa Premiership outings.
That included Wednesday night’s 2-2 draw with SuperSport United, a game in which Maritzburg twice came from behind to earn a share of the spoils in Tshwane.
With very little turnaround time between the two fixtures on the road, there won’t be too much opportunity for major tactical changes, and it will likely be a case of a few tweaks here and there.
Most importantly, the men from the KwaZulu-Natal Capital City will need to show more of the desire and fighting spirit which has become a hallmark of their game.
“We’ve just played SuperSport, so tactically, not a lot of time to work on things, just a little bit of continuation from our last game,” coach Eric explained.
“The games are just going to get harder and harder, so the focus needs to remain. We’re professional sportsman, we’ve got to remain focussed on our target at the end of the season and try reach those targets as soon as we can.”
Kick-off is at 8.15pm at the Sisa Dukashe Stadium in Mdantsane, a compact venue which usually attracts a full house and a mouth-watering encounter surely awaits.
#WeBelieve
#WeAreUnited
#TeamBlue
* You can get behind the Team of Choice through our social media platforms - please click on links below:
|
