Arrows aim for league double over City

Golden Arrows coach Clinton Larsen © Backpagepix
Cape Town City are out to redeem their dignity when they welcome Golden Arrows in the Absa Premiership on Wednesday night at the Athlone Stadium in Cape Town.

Kick-off is at 7:30pm.

The Citizens' league title ambitions have been dealt a huge blow with their inconsistent run just towards the end of the season.

Eric Tinkler's charges succumbed to a 1-0 loss to Maritzburg United a fortnight ago before losing 4-2 to SuperSport United away this past midweek.

The Cape Town-based side currently occupy the third spot on the log with with 52 points from 28 matches.

Tinkler will have to push his charges to go for a win and ensure they book a spot in next year's CAF Champions League or Confederation Cup respectively.

The team, though, is aware it will not be easy against an Arrows side looking for a top eight spot.

“It’s a tough one against Arrows because they are looking to finish in the top eight,” said defender Ebrahim Seedat.

“They’re a good side, they keep the ball and always play with a good shape. But for us, this is a must-win.

"It’s our home game and we have to make that count. We’ve been good at home this season and we just have to make sure that we stick to our game plan.

"We have our ups and downs, like any other football team, but we work things out quickly and get on with the job.

"We want to finish the league season with two wins."

Turning to Abafana Bes'thende, Arrows are motivated following a 3-2 win over Baroka FC last Saturday and will hope to continue from where they left off.

The fact that they are out of the top eight bracket will push coach Clinton Larsen and his men to ensure they book a spot in next season's MTN8 Cup tournament.

Arrows are now placed at No 9 on the log table with 35 points from 28 matches, a point behind seventh-placed Maritzburg United.

Larsen's men were victorious at home in the opening round against Cape Town City and this encounter allows them to challenge for six points in the current campaign.

Although their win over Milton Dlamini's men was dubbed a controversial victory, Arrows will want to take their resilience into the Mother City.

“Maybe people thought with our young squad we would be fighting relegation, but that was not the case," said Larsen.

"With proper planning and support from the management we knew we could compete well this season.

”We still have a long way to go to qualify for the top eight. We still have a (Nedbank Cup) semifinal. So there’s a lot to play for.

“It could be a very memorable season for us should we qualify for the top eight and the final. I think this young team has got a lot of potential going forward.

"Our main focus now, though, is the match against Cape Town City. We are working hard and are going into the game confident."