Cape Town City coach Benni McCarthy is confident his side can put Baroka to the sword when they lock horns in the Absa Premiership on Wednesday, writes DYLAN APPOLIS.
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The Citizens managed to secure all three points after claiming a comfortable 2-0 victory over Supersport United in their opening Absa Premiership encounter through goals from Roland Putsche and Craig Martin.
The victory sees the Citizens occupy third place in the Absa Premiership standings after one match played.
McCarthy, who failed to secure a victory against Bakgaga last season, says his side are solid at the back and won’t concede ‘silly goals’ with the likes of Sage Stephens or Peter Leeuwenburgh in goal.
He added that the Citizens will also be more lethal in attack after roping in former Kaizer Chiefs striker Siphelele Mthembu.
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‘Baroka was our bogey team last season. We could not get one over them, but we are very positive going there and this time, we’ve got a keeper who will not suffer goals from 45 yards out,’ McCarthy told TFGSoccerClub.
‘We are more solid in goal and if I’m being honest, Shu-Aib Walters played both games and we suffered goals from distance.
‘This season, Sage and Peter seem to be a bit more solid and they can handle those long drive shots.
‘We are more tighter and solid at the back and we’ve added a striker – two strikers because [Matthew] Rusike is a revived man and “Shaka” [Mthembu] has come in and shown his quality.
‘Those were the two areas where we lacked against Baroka in both games.’
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The 40-year-old coach says his side will be hoping to redeem themselves against their ‘bogey team’ after Baroka claimed two wins from three matches played between the two sides last season.
‘I remember how we lost against them. I was furious that we threw three points away. Even in the Telkom [Knockout Cup], they knocked us out and it was games that were a given for us,’ he added.
‘We outplayed them, out-thought them but we just couldn’t score and that was the problem.
‘We suffered silly goals but now we can’t suffer goals like that because we have got two really top-class keepers and we’ve got two strikers who can put the ball in the net.
‘We’ve also got Craig Martin, who’s come good. I believe it should go down much better this season than it did last season.’
The match at the Peter Mokaba Stadium kicks off at 7:30pm.
