Maritzburg United host SuperSport United in a Nedbank Cup clash at the Harry Gwala Stadium on Wednesday night in what promises to be an interesting game.
The game will be Matsatsantsa’s first without former key man Teboho Mokoena who left the club to link up with Mamelodi Sundowns last month.
Meanwhile, it also remains to be seen if Kaitano Tembo’s side will opt to select Sipho Mbule for the game. The 23-year-old was strongly linked with a potential move to Kaizer Chiefs last month which ended up not happening.
However, the central midfielder did miss five games for his club in December which will naturally lead to concerns over his form, fitness and mindset.
Maritzburg United will have nothing to lose in the game. The Team of Choice’s primary aim for this season will be to avoid relegation from the top-flight. However, they will also welcome a deep run in the Nedbank Cup as it will give them opportunities to experiment with different tactics and combinations while also potentially providing them with much needed added funds.
Ernst Middendorp’s side saw several new arrivals to their first-team last month. Their one major departure saw Bongokuhle Hlongwane leave to join Major League Soccer (MLS) side Minnesota United. Hlongwane earned his move on the back of a breakthrough year for Bafana Bafana and Maritzburg United.
Maritzburg assistant coach Maahier Davids feels that the preparation has gone well for his side so far.
“We added seven new players. The players have gelled well. We’ve improved our fitness and our tactical discipline going forward. At the moment we feel quite good,” said Davids.
Integrating a lot of new players into a team is always challenging, especially ahead of the second half of the season but Davids feels that the process is going well for his team.
“It’s going really well. They gelled in quite easily. It’s easy for the local guys but the guys from abroad are also doing well. Each player has a different level of fitness. Lucky Baloyi comes on the back of an injury. We have to individually periodize them and make sure that they come in well. Some will be ready and some will not. It’s their first game and hopefully after that everyone can come back to the team,” said Davids.
The game will be the first of back to back fixtures between Maritzburg and SuperSport. The teams also start the second half of their league seasons with a clash against each other at the Harry Gwala Stadium next week.
@EshlinV