AN UNPREDICTABLE Royal AM outfit will travel to Cape Town plotting to add more woes to Cape Town City’s stumbling start to 2024.
Thwihli Thwahla eased their relegation worries with a win against Richards Bay only to crash against Sekhukhune United last time out.
That result has raised the levels of desperation for the visitors and will add fuel when the two teams meet at the Cape Town Stadium on Sunday at 5.45pm.
Questions surround the AM squad and their ability to avoid a possible relegation scrap with the likes of Bay and Cape Town Spurs without access to the transfer market.
Even though the return from injury of number one goalkeeper Patrick Nyame has been a welcome boost, it is in the attacking areas that the side is desperate to improve on.
AM have scored in just one of their four games this year, having already been denied by Kaizer Chiefs, AmaZulu and most recently Babina Noko.
The striking department of Mxolisi Macuphu, Ruzaigh Gamildien and Motebang Sera have contributed just four goals to the AM cause this season.
Whoever starts as the leading man up front against the Citizens will be itching to get their name on the score sheet as they look to destabilise a seemingly vulnerable home defence.
City coach Eric Tinkler has a tough task of returning his side to the kind of form that saw them finish the first round in second place on the DStv Premiership standings.
Having conceded four goals in the last four games, the experienced mentor is expected to pay special attention to his defensive unit.
City have conceded the third least goals in the division, a stat only bettered by Mamelodi Sundowns.
Goalkeeper Darren Keet was instrumental in his side’s impressive first-round showing, having kept eight clean sheets in the league.
The 34-year-old shot-stopper will be expected to be at his commanding best when City welcome the visit of a side that has beaten City in Cape Town in the past.
In the three visits that Thwihli Thwahla have made to the Mother City for a league encounter, they’ve lost twice and earned a low-scoring draw back in 2022.
Having missed out on yet another Bafana Bafana call-up this week, the league’s second-best scorer Khanyisa Mayo will be eager to add to his nine goals and nine assists this season.
The 25-year-old attacker has scored twice in his last three games and is expected to cause havoc against AM.