Gabriel eyes safety for Richards Bay

Richards Bay FC coach Ronnie Gabriel is expecting more twists and turns at the bottom end of the Betway Premiership as the Natal Rich Boyz prepare to take on Sekhukhune United at the King Zwelithini Stadium on Wednesday evening.

Kick-off is at 7:30pm (CAT, GMT+2)

CURRENT FORM

Richards Bay currently find themselves dangling above the drop zone in 14th place, with just 18 points to their name in 19 league matches played so far.

While they hope to steer clear from the relegation positions, Richards Bay are unbeaten in their last six Betway Premiership ties. However, the Natal Rich Boyz only bagged two victories during this period, which came against Marumo Gallants and Polokwane City respectively.

While Richards Bay go into their next game on the back of a 0-0 draw with Chippa United, Sekhukhune suffered a 4-2 loss against Mamelodi Sundowns last time out.

Prior to their defeat against the Brazilians, Babina Noko went on a three-match unbeaten run that included victories against AmaZulu and Chippa United. As it stands, Sekhukhune are 3rd on the log after 19 fixtures completed.

WHAT WAS SAID

With the Natal Rich Boyz looking to evade the drop, coach Ronnie Gabriel expects more plot twists until the end of the campaign.

“I believe there will be twists and turns,” Gabriel said.

“The teams at the bottom have woken up, and they’ve decided that now is the moment to move out of here. If you don’t do it now, you’re going to be stuck there at the end of the season.”

Reflecting on the upcoming game, Babina Noko coach Lehlohonolo Seema expressed that he is solely focused on doing the job on Wednesday night.

“We're playing Richards Bay on Wednesday and we're looking forward to that game. We're taking it one game at a time because we are professional. I really don't look beyond Richards Bay for now...we want to make sure that we focus on the job at hand,'' Seema mentioned.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Richards Bay: Justice Figuareido – While Figuareido may not have been prolific in front of goal this season, the Eswatini attacker remains a regular up front for Gabriels. As an ever-ready threat in the final third, Sekhukhune will have to keep a keen eye on the Figuareido’s late runs into the area.

Sekhukhune United: Linda Mntambo – Despite being a midfielder by trade, Mntambo has showcased his zest for scoring goals in the last couple of seasons. After scoring a brace against Milford in the Nedbank Cup last time out, Mntambo will no doubt be eager to increase his tally on Wednesday.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

Last five league results

2022/23 Richards Bay 1-0 Sekhukhune United

2022/23 Sekhukhune United 2-0 Richards Bay

2023/24 Richards Bay 1-1 Sekhukhune United

2023/24 Sekhukhune United 3-1 Richards Bay

2024/25 Sekhukhune United 2-0 Richards Bay