Do Mpumalanga Black Aces have enough bite? Can the small “Dog” run with the big one?
This Saturday one coach will walk away with his tail between his legs when their teams meet in an Absa Premiership battle at Mbombela Stadium.
Mpumalanga Black Aces, coached by Clive Barker, and Amazulu FC coached by his nephew, Steve Barker, meet at a crucial stage of the league campaign. Both teams are heading for the relegation zone and are in need of maximum points.
Steve said their 5-2 victory over SuperSport United last Sunday was a testimony of the hard work and good performances his team has put in lately and if they continue playing like that, then they will win the remaining matches and survive relegation.
“If we continue putting in such performances, we can win all the matches that we have remaining in this league,” said Steve.
He said his charges were ready for Saturday’s showdown against his uncle’s team, Aces.
“The confidence among the boys is high and we have what it takes to go back to our winning ways. Yes, the other teams ahead of us are not doing well but we must focus on our journey,” he said.
Aces’ spokesperson, Gordon Masondo, said they were not worried about Amazulu’s win over SuperSport.
“We are simply going to play our normal football, but this time we are going to be more aggressive.
“We have committed ourselves to winning all our remaining home fixtures and we are going to achieve this,” said Masondo.
The stadium’s spokesman, Mthuthuzeli Qamba, said they were ready for the game and told this paper that tickets were already on sale.
He said tickets were selling at R50 for adults and R20 for children, while parking at the stadium was free.
VIP tickets are available only at the stadium. Kick-off is at 19:30.
“We know that Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates are also playing on Saturday, and because they are playing at 15:00, this will afford all soccer lovers time to watch the first game and later come to the Mbombela Stadium for this night fixture,” said Qamba.
