Ea Lla Koto target Students
Free State Stars and Bidvest Wits will so battle for the third time this season when they clash at the Bidvest Stadium on Wednesday night in an Absa Premiership match, kick-off at 19h30.
The Ea Lla Koto has had the better of the Clever Boys in the tow encounters so far this season and should go into this match as overwhelming favourites to grab all three points on offer.
Steve Komphela’s men beat Wits in the two sides’ opening match of their 2012/13 league campaign in Bethlehem and repeated the feat when they out foxed the same opponents in the quarterfinals of the Telkom Knockout via a penalty shootout in Johannesburg.
Wits’ under fire coach Antonio Habas is under huge pressure to turn things around at the club. They have lost momentum with recent results and have not won a match since their 2-0 home victory over a troubled Moroka Swallows on November 6th.
The Clever Boys are now just situated inside the top half of the table in eighth place and will desperately need all three points to head into the mid-season break with some momentum under their belts.
Having reached the half way stage of the league campaign with 18 points, Wits have won four, drawn six and lost five matches so far.
Habas who has revealed that he is already planning for the second half of the season and knows how much the importance of a victory over a side that already has had his number will be.
“I have an eye on the second round because football is not a sprint but a marathon and we need to be prepared for the next round,” says Habas.
“The team needs more regularity. We cannot play for 45 minutes we need to play for 90 minutes.
“I can say that we have a good first round performance in the league. But now in the last four games things have not been the same. My obligation is to continue with the same process that I have been doing in the first three months of the season.
“Stars have proven that they are good team with a good coach but we need this win.”
Stars are heading into this match with momentum and are occupying fourth spot on the log standings with 24 points from their 15 matches.
They might be eight points behind log leaders Kaizer Chiefs and they will head into the break guaranteed of at least a place in the top six.
Stars’ defender Mbuyiselo Sambu says that he and his side are staying humble and won’t be taking any side for granted with a position in the top eight compulsory this season.
“People will be asking us about why we aren’t challenging for the league, but everything is possible in football. When the season started the first thing the team spoke about was the top eight and then the rest will take care of itself,” explains Sambu.
“We need to push ourselves and see the best we can get out of ourselves. Wits are a good team and I don’t think there will be anything different about them to what we experienced in the season so far.
“We just need to respect them because they are a decent team and they are the host but we won’t lay down because we also want to climb up the table,” concluded Sambu.
