Wake-up call for Arrows as their bubble is burst

After suffering their first league defeat this season against SuperSport United on Tuesday, Golden Arrows keeper Nkosingiphile Gumede feels their 3-0 thumping was a wake-up call.

Gumede said Abafana Bes'thende were starting to relax following their nine-game unbeaten run. Before the SuperSport game, Arrows were the only PSL side with an unblemished record, but they found the going tough at Mbombela Stadium.

Gumede, who was in goal on Tuesday, sees the loss as a reminder to not get carried away after a bright start.

"I think the defeat will help us because we were starting to be complacent after starting so well. It was about time we were reminded that we must work harder in order for us to achieve our objective of finishing in the top five.

"From our game against Orlando Pirates [in the Telkom Knockout's first round] last week, you could see that we were not playing the way we started. The problem is that we tend to lose concentration at crucial stages in our games.''

After crashing out of Telkom, the KwaZulu-Natal-based club will only return to action in three weeks when they face Pirates in the league.

Gumede has welcomed the long hiatus, saying it will help them review and rectify their mistakes.

"The break came at a right time because we have lost two games on the trot. We need to review our performances and correct some of our mistakes. We will not be resting at all,'' stated the 23-year-old from Chesterville in Durban.