Loss could leave Arrows in relegation zone

After suffering two successive defeats, Golden Arrows will be desperate to avoid a third one when they host struggling Marumo Gallants at Princess Magogo Stadium tomorrow at 7.30pm.

Arrows head into the match following defeats to Orlando Pirates and Maritzburg United and want to change that against Gallants.

Only four points separate 13th-placed Arrows and Gallants, who are at the bottom of the table and midfielder Velemseni Ndwandwe said they could not afford to lose a third match in a row.

“What is important in the next two games is we must get maximum points and that will change things around because the difference between us and number five is four points,  and we are not far from the danger zone,” Ndwandwe explained to Sowetan yesterday.

“In the last two games, we didn’t do well and what is important now is to collect as many points as we can to move up the table.”

Ndwandwe also feels the reason they have been struggling recently is that they have been failing in front of goals, having netted five in the last five matches.

“I don’t see that as a big problem because if you look, we are creating chances the only thing missing is to convert them,” he said.

“We must also try not to concede too many goals because we have been conceding in the last stages of the season. But if we are playing the way we are and using a lot of youngsters, you are bound to concede because we do open up the game and it is not like we are cautious.

“We are not playing with fear. We are going forward and trying to create chances.”

With Gallants also struggling recently, the 27-year-old expects a difficult encounter tomorrow as they will be desperate for points to move away from the bottom.

“We know how coach Dan Malesela plays. He likes to keep the ball. What must we do, we must expect anything since they are also desperate for results.

“We saw when they played against AmaZulu that they were fighting, so it is important we give our all to get all the three points.”

Fixtures

Tonight: Galaxy v Sundowns, Mbombela 7.30pm

Tomorrow: Arrows v Gallants, Princess Magogo 7.30pm

Friday: Stellenbosch v CPT City 7.30pm

Saturday: Sundowns v Sekhukhune, Loftus 3.30pm; Swallows v SuperSport, Dobsonville 5.30pm; Gallants v Pirates, Royal Bafokeng 8pm

Sunday: Richards Bay v AmaZulu, King Zwelithini 3.30pm; Chippa v Maritzburg, Nelson Mandela Bay 3.30pm; Chiefs v Royal AM, Peter Mokaba 5.30pm; Galaxy v Arrows, Mbombela 5.30pm.