DURBAN – There will be no love lost at Harry Gwala Stadium tomorrow when Maritzburg United and Kaizer Chiefs search for that elusive Absa Premiership victory (kickoff 8pm).
The Team of Choice stumbled against Lamontville Golden Arrows in their opening fixture and Free State Stars got the better of them at Goble Park.
Amakhosi are in a similar situation. Chiefs registered two stalemates and one defeat. They shared the spoils 1-1 with Mamelodi Sundowns and Baroka and then succumbed to a 3-1 thumping against Bidvest Wits.
United captain, Siyanda Xulu, is targeting a turnaround of results at the expense of Amakhosi.
United crashed out of the MTN8 last weekend, but Xulu explained, “The success that we achieved last season was based on team work and we need to turn things around as a team. We always want to turn things around. We have to take our chances and things will come okay for us. We are not in crisis.”
Xulu and Keagan Buchanan will be determined to get one over Amakhosi. They had turbulent times during their spells with Chiefs. The duo struggled to command regular starting berths and joined United. So both players will be pumped up for this clash. Buchanan joined United this season, and it will be the first time he faces his former employers.
Xulu said: “We have to pick ourselves up and fight for one another. We are experiencing a common problem of missing our chances but we miss them as a team. Last season we did well as a team and we will fight this problem as a team.”
Maritzburg captain, Siyanda Xulu, is targeting a turnaround of results at the expense of Amakhosi. Photo: Sydney Mahlangu/BackpagePix
United have been hit by the departure of two players who were key to their accomplishments last season. Lebohang Maboe joined Mamelodi Sundowns and Bevan Fransman is now on the books of Highlands Park.
On top of that United have been hit by injuries and suspensions. Fortune Makaringe is still serving a suspension after receiving a red card against Free State Stars while Andrea Fileccia has been struggling with a hamstring injury.
“Yes, we’ve lost some of our key players but there’s no use worrying about players that will not come back. We’ve lost players before. We lost Evans Rusike (in January) but we still played well,” Xulu said.