After suffering a 2-0 defeat to Orlando Pirates on Wednesday night, Richards Bay coach Papi Zothwane had his say on who he thinks will be crowned league champions at the end of the season.
Pirates’ win over the Natal Rich Boys took them back on top of the standings ahead of Mamelodi Sundowns due to a better goal difference, despite being level on 47 points after 20 games.
‘Both Bucs and Downs are on fire’
Zothwane, whose team gave problems to Pirates later in the game before conceding a penalty right at the death, said it would be difficult for him to predict where the league title will end up, as both Pirates and Sundowns continue to win their games.
“Two of the biggest teams are competing for the league, and obviously, any team that plays against these two sides wants to do well,” Zothwane said during a post-match press conference.
“But for me, I think this title race will be decided on the final round of matches. So, it is difficult for me to make any predictions and conclude where the league title will go at the end of the season.
“Both teams have quality and are winning their games, so we just hope they continue the same way,” he added.
Richards Bay ‘were tough for Bucs’
Bucs coach Abdeslam Ouaddou admitted that his side was not at their best against the Natal Rich Boys, especially in the second half, where they were not as in cruise control as they were in the first half.
“It was a really tough game, but what we expected against a strong and very compact team. They prevented us from playing and were very aggressive,” Ouaddou said.
“We had more control in the first half than in the second half, especially in the last 20 minutes. And in the end, because we felt like we were not going to get the second goal, we decided to close shop [introduce more defensive players] because we needed these three points.
“Tonight’s three points were very important in this title race. We still have 10 games remaining, and we’re going to fight and fight until the last second, and we will die on the pitch for this title race.”
The Buccaneers return to league action on Saturday, when they host Siwelele FC at home, while Sundowns will be setting their sights on their CAF Champions League quarterfinal second leg clash against Stade Malien next Friday.
