A top-of-the-table clash between the Leaders Zizwe United and the Chasers Ubuntu Cape Town is a battle between an experienced campaigner and a squad who are filled with a large number of Engen Knockout winning players. 

The level of consistency Zizwe has maintained over the last couple of seasons deserves to be highlighted. And they’ve got a brilliant defensive record, only conceding 5 goals all season (so far). 

But Ubuntu has scored 27 goals this season – the highest in Stream A.  And they’re sticking with their identity of bringing through young players and not deviating from a style of play that has produced great players and helped win many trophies. 

“It’s going to be a very tactical game,” says the mastermind behind Zizwe United’s recent success, Julius Dube. “Especially because we played each other two weeks ago, and we still remember what to fix as far as last game’s mistakes. They have a good team, with a lot of mobile youth stars in most positions and they’re technically gifted. I’m expecting them to attack us from the first minute because they have nothing to lose. They know that if they lose this one, the gap will widen a bit.” 

(Zizwe United’s technical team)

It’s not just Ubuntu’s skills that he’s concerned about, though.

“But the main point here is to worry about ourselves. We have to up our game and never take them lightly just because we beat them two weeks ago. This one is going to be even tougher.” 

Zizwe is going into this tie with a 1 point lead in Stream A, but that’s no reason to go easy. 

“Our boys need to give them a game. It’s not going to be a league decider, but we need to win this one at home so that we can have some breathing space.”

In their last game, Zizwe blitzed Ubuntu 4 goals to 1, using a very direct style of play – a go-to method when playing away from home, and one that’s worked well for them. 

But this time they’re coming up against an in-form and young team with an average age of 18 (and a half), with more experience of how the ABC Motsepe League works – and who’ve learned from their previous game. 

Moritz Kossmann, the Ubuntu Cape Town tactician, has considered the players who could make a real impact in terms of the threat from the opposition. 

“Mpho Erasmus has to be mentioned as being the top scorer of the stream at the moment. Scoring a lot of goals, he’s back to some of his best form. Especially aerially and on set pieces he’s a difficult striker to contend with, and a smart operator in the box. And Tebogo Moleta, the one they call Messi, who plays on the left wing, is an extremely talented player. He’s a very good dribbler who can get at defenders and in behind with the ball at his feet. Those two from an attacking perspective are really important.” 

It’s not all about attacking, though.

“Defensively, I thought Sebastian Lucas had a really good game against us in Ocean View – when they were under pressure he held things together at the back. Plus he’s a very talented delivery of a good set piece. I would imagine they would want to stop us from playing, probably want to press us really high. They would look to have the ball at their feet a bit more, and try to cause problems of their own by using combination play and possession phases of their own.”  

Set pieces in the first game were Ubuntu’s Achilles heel, and it’s something they have worked on. This time they’ll most probably put their foot on the ball and ultimately make use of their abundance of talent. 

“[Zizwe] are top of the table for a reason, they are a team with a lot of quality individual players and experience. The core of that team has been together for quite a few years. And they are obviously a different beast in Nyanga, in front of their home crowd and on their home field. So we’re expecting a very difficult game – but we’re ready this time.”

Edited by Nicklaus Kruger