Ngcobo hoping to leapfrog Bucs with win in the derby
Swallows keen to shake off tag of draw specialists
Swallows defender Njabulo Ngcobo is fed up with the number of draws his side has recorded this season and wants to turn those draws into victories, starting against Orlando Pirates, who they host in the Soweto derby at Dobsonville Stadium tomorrow (5pm).
Swallows have drawn 13 games this DStv Premiership season, more than any other team, with the latest being a 1-1 stalemate with Bloemfontein Celtic away on Tuesday.
The Buccaneers were also held to a goalless draw by ES Setif at Orlando Stadium in a CAF Confederation Cup match but did win their last league game against Maritzburg United on Sunday.
“The preparations have been good the whole week. I think it will be a difficult match, but I think we are ready for this big game,” Ngcobo told Sowetan yesterday.
“All the games we play, we try to win. Some we were just unfortunate to get draws. But going to Pirates, a big club, we will try to give them the respect they deserve knowing that we are also fighting for three points.”
In 10 matches at home this season, Swallows have won five games and drawn five.
“Playing at home has been helping us a lot because we are playing well, [better] than when we are playing away,” he said. “I think since they are coming here, it will help us a lot to get all three points against Pirates and move ahead of them in the log table.
“We will do our best to make sure we win the game. We will watch how they played against Mamelodi Sundowns and Maritzburg United to see how best to get all the points.”
A point separates Pirates in fourth place in the standings from Swallows in fifth and mathematically both still have a chance to win the league title.
“It’s a big game and we need to be up for the challenge. Recently, we’ve been drawing a lot of matches and we are desperate for a win," Ngcobo said.
“I think it will be important if we can get all three points, which will put us in a good position in the league. We are playing at home and we need to use the advantage to collect all three points.”