Cape Town City are hoping for a super boost to their PSL title hopes after a false start.
Coach Benni McCarthy and his manne kicked off the season after talking up their ambitions to dethrone Mamelodi Sundowns.
But after just a single win from their four matches before the international break, they are down in eighth place – five points off league leaders Kaizer Chiefs.
On Saturday they get a chance to relaunch their campaign at SuperSport United, who are two points ahead of them.
And former SuperSport defender Thato Mokeke warns his teammates that they will be in for a tough test in Pretoria, having spent last week in Bafana Bafana camp with the likes of Dean Furman and Bradley Grobler, who is the leading goalscorer in the league with four from four.
Mokeke, who has been reinvented as a deep-lying midfielder under coach McCarthy, says: “It’s always a good occasion to face your former team, especially with the way they are playing now.
CAMP: Dean Furman is in camp with Bafana Bafana. Photo: Sumaya Hisham/Reuters.
“Furman is a real leader and he never gives up so it will be tough to come up against him in the middle.
“I’ve just spent time with Grobler again with the national team and it reminded me just how good he is.
“I’ve known him for so many years, he’s always been a lethal striker.”
Matsatsantsa also have winger Aubrey Mobida in form, while Thamsanqa Gabuza has shown he has a taste for the goals in the big games.
City will have to be at their best defensively to stop coach Kaitano Tembo’s charges.
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/RecoveryclubSA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RecoveryclubSAfor helping us recover faster than ever before and also preventing future injuries 💙👊 #iamCityFC pic.twitter.com/1KRyoSoKZj
— Cape Town City FC (@CapeTownCityFC)
And the return of Thabo Nodada’s energy in the midfielder could go a long way in lifting his side in the game for the full 90 minutes, with City having let go of the lead in three of their matches this term.
Nodada says: “I think the coaches can tell that I’m raring to go. We have a talented bunch of midfielders, all of whom could easily play at any given time so when my time comes I’ll do my best to earn a place in the starting line-up.”