Siphelele Magubane is oozing confidence ahead of a much-anticipated KwaZulu-Natal derby between Maritzburg United and Lamontville Golden Arrows at Harry Gwala Stadium today at 3pm.
The dribbling wizard from Arrows won the goal of the month gong for April.
Magubane netted a screamer of goal against Free State Stars at Princess Magogo Stadium in KwaMashu last month.
The coach of the month and the player of the month went to the Mamelodi Sundowns duo Pitso Mosimane and Percy Tau.
Absa presented the award to Magubane yesterday after his side finished their training session at Princess Magogo.
The award came at the right time for Magubane as there’s a lot to play for in a KZN derby.
Arrows are looking to cement their top 8 place and The Team of Choice is eager to clinch a Caf Confederation Cup spot by finishing third on the log.
Victory for Arrows will confirm their top eight place while United will be looking for maximum points and pray that Kaizer Chiefs play out to a stalemate, or lose to, Ajax Cape Town.
Speaking with the media after being presented with the award, Magubane was ecstatic.
“Honestly I didn’t expect this accolade. There were good goals that were scored last month. If you look at Tlolane (Puleng of Polokwane City) and the other goals, they were great. I’m grateful and honoured to receive the award. All thanks to the coaches and the management. It is a blessing to write history for the club by becoming the first player to win the award. This is a motivation going in to the derby. There’s a lot at stake,” a jubilant Magubane said.
Arrows are currently seventh on the log, and playing in the top 8 next season will present the club with an opportunity to win R8 million if they go all their way like they did back in 2009.
“We will go out there and work hard. We will stay focused and hopefully we will get the maximum points. We would love to go to the break with a smile on our faces. It is a KZN derby and we want to claim that pride. We desperately want to win this game. We will keep cool heads,” Magubane stated.
Arrows are a side brimming with confidence having won two games on the trot. They demolished Kaizer Chiefs 3-1 and defeated Platinum Stars 3-2 in their last match.
“They will come to us well-motivated because if they win they’ve got an opportunity to finish third and compete in Africa next season. They will use this game as a preparation for the Nedbank Cup final. We are ready with the tough task. We will give them a hard time. We don’t want to get carried away by our past results. We won’t dwell much on that, our focus is on this game. We are confident we will come away with something positive,” Magubane said.