BA’s Tollie faces tall order

COACH Tollie van Wyk has to start on a winning note to quench the thirst of many Black Africa supporters who have been at pains with the performance of their team when they meet Hotspurs in a premiership tie at the Khomasdal Stadium tonight.

Kick-off is at 20h00.
The former Ramblers gaffer has the armoury to dismiss rookies Hotspurs who are competing in their first ever season in top-flight football, but still, he needs to win well to satisfy the thousands of BA supporters who are desperate for glory.
Van Wyk took charge of the ‘Lively Lions’ earlier this week and despite losing 3-0 in the final of the FNB Football Festival against Eleven Arrows last week, Van Wyk has to produce a win in this match to bring the team in contention for the league title.
BA have to date only won two of their six matches in the league, while their opponents, despite being new in the league, have also managed two wins from a similar number of matches.
Van Wyk, a seasoned premiership mentor, replaced Ronnie Kanalelo who moved to South African outfit Maritzburg United for a goalkeeping job, but will still be under immense pressure to start well and keep the consistency in the league which is increasingly becoming too demanding for coaches.

TOUGH CLASH

On Saturday, a tough encounter awaits Eleven Arrows at the Kuisebmond Stadium against the visiting Civics side in a match that could produce a lot of spark.
Triple league champions Civics have kept a relatively low profile this season and are hanging in fourth place with 12 points from their four wins in six matches, while Arrows are two points adrift and a game in hand.
Arrows are favourites to end in the top and possibly also taking the league title considering their recent display against BA last weekend, but should be wary of the well-balanced Civics side which has toned down on talking big ahead of matches.
Civics team manager Paul Stramis said they are taking each game as it comes, but Arrows owner Johnny Doëseb has already declared that this season belongs to his team which has drastically improved on the playing field, while it has overhauled its image.
Stramis said they are also not going to scramble for players before the transfer season closes on January 30, but are happy with the current blend of experience and youth at their disposal.
At the same time, Arrows welcomed their midfield mastermind Rudolf Bester last week, who engineered their win over BA with two top of the deck goals after his contract with Serbian first division side Cukaricki Stankom expired late last year.
Bester will be key to their league title win if given the chance, because his class and experience clearly stands out.

TIES FOR TAILENDERS

The struggle for supremacy at the base of the table continues when Tigers host Chief Santos at the Khomasdal Stadium on Saturday. Kick-off is 17h00.
Tigers has a game in hand as they have won one match from their five encounters so far, while boasting with a only five points.
Santos are even worse with only three points from their six matches and their chances of surviving in the top flight might be pushed further into misery, if they go down to Tigers.
Tigers are with no doubt in trouble and with only Kenny Malgas and Tangeni Shipahu to rely on to get them goals, they surely face the worst of scenarios later in the season.
The Tigers management urgently needs to take that bold step of beefing up the team with at least five top quality players in the various departments.
In other matches at the weekend, Orlando Pirates are meeting Ramblers in a match that the Buccaneers ought to sway into their favour as they are sitting pretty nicely in second spot on 14 points behind SKW who have 15 after losing 2-1 to Stars on Wednesday.
The match is scheduled for Sunday at the Khomasdal Stadium from 17h00.
Oshakati City, led by the evergreen Cascas Angula, will go for the three points at the Paresis Secondary School when they visit Mighty Gunners, who are holding the table with no points from six matches. That match starts at 16h00.
The pitch at the Mokati Stadium in Otjiwarongo cannot host the match because it is being repaired after a music concert was held there last weekend.