Black Leopards defender Pentjie Zulu has made a bold statement, saying there is no way Maritzburg United will beat them at the Thohoyandou Stadium on Saturday (3.30pm).

The two teams will be looking to record their first points of the season when they meet in the DStv Premiership after losing their opening three matches.

Zulu believes the weather conditions will count against Maritzburg and that they will use that to their advantage.

 “What I can tell you is that we are in the right frame of mind now. We are going to win because everyone in training is pushing. There is no way Maritzburg can beat us at home. They also know that they won’t beat us,” Zulu told Sowetan yesterday.

“They won’t beat us, that I can promise. We are going to win the match on Saturday. We told ourselves that we can't lose four matches in a row, that will never happen. Even if we were playing away in Pietermaritzburg, those people were never going to beat us.

“We are playing at home now. Thohoyandou is our slaughterhouse, and it is hot there, and they won’t cope with those conditions.”

With new coach Dylan Kerr now in charge, having returned to the team to replace Patrick Aussems, who left this week, the 30-year-old believes they would not take long to adjust to his philosophy as he coached them before.

“The fact that he was coaching us before at Leopards ... we are used to him and he knows us hence I say Maritzburg will never beat us,” Zulu said.

“The coach told us we must continue where we ended with him and we must play without fear because when we are free, we play our normal football.

“Everything is fine ahead of the match on Saturday, and we are looking forward to our match. The guys are now motivated and we are all looking forward to it.”

Both teams will be desperate to avoid another defeat after losing all their opening matches.

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