Betway Premiership action returns this week, and Richards Bay will be on a serious mission to cause another upset when they take on log leaders Orlando Pirates on Tuesday.
The game will kick-off at 7.30pm at Orlando Stadium.
Richards Bay go into the match on the back of an impressive result in the Carling Knockout, beating Cape Town City 5-4 on penalties at the weekend.
Perfect start
The Natal Rich Boys will be hoping to pick up from where they left off and hand Pirates their first defeat of the season. The Buccaneers have had the perfect start, winning all their six matches in the league. They sit on top of the log ahead of champions Mamelodi Sundowns.
Pirates will be looking to seal a league double early in the season against their opponents. This is following their hard-fought 1-0 win at King Zwelithini Stadium in September, with Kabelo Dlamini scoring a late winner with a well-worked free kick.
A victory for the Buccaneers will take them six points clear of Sundowns, who play the in-form Polokwane City at the Loftus Versfeld on Wednesday.
The Pirates-Richards game will be coach Jose Riveiro’s 100th game at the helm of the Pirates ship. He will look to complete the milestone in style with a win that will earn the club their best start to the league campaign in the PSL era.
Riveiro and his charges will be going up against a Richards Bay side that will be looking to translate their good run in the Carling Knockout to the league.
The Kwazulu-Natal outfit is currently languishing in the bottom half of the log table on number 12. They have amassed five points after six games.
Confidence boosted
Coach Brandon Truter says the win against City at the weekend was a massive confidence booster for the team.
“The results bring a lot of confidence and belief. But there is still a lot of work to do,” Truter said.
“We have Pirates on Tuesday, and then we are finished with them for the season. But it is looking good, especially with the progress we are making.
“Pirates didn’t play this weekend, so they are fresh. We are going to Orlando, a tough place to go. Especially when The Ghost [Pirates supporters] fill up the stadium.”
