The Rise and Shine manager says they have a special plan to exploit Amakhosi in Tshwane
Ahead of their Premier Soccer League (PSL) clash against Kaizer Chiefs, Polokwane City coach Clinton Larsen is wary of the Soweto giants, saying they deserve to occupy the top spot on the log standings.
Rise and Shine are set to welcome Amakhosi on Saturday afternoon at Loftus Versfeld Stadium and Larsen hopes his plan will bear fruit whilst banking on the venue used by defending PSL champions, Mamelodi Sundowns, saying it will suit their style.
On the other hand, the former Bafana Bafana midfielder remains wary of their fitness levels as he explains that all the other teams are set to face challenges in their first games since the season was halted in March due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“Yeah, life gets to start with this one and players don’t need motivation. Everyone is looking forward to the game and we’ve prepared well and we hope to get a positive result,” Larsen told Goal.
“I can’t make it public knowledge [how we plan to exploit Chiefs’ weaknesses] on what we want to try and do.
“They are a good team and they’re not at the top of the log for no reason. So, it’s going to be a difficult game but we believe we have got enough quality in our attacking players to cause problems for them.
“Hopefully we will be on top of our attacking game and really pose a threat for Chiefs.”
On playing at the iconic venue in Tshwane, the former Golden Arrows and Bloemfontein Celtic coach says the pitch will perfectly suit their philosophy.
“Yeah, it’s going to suit the way we play and because we are a ball-playing team. I think we have to try to keep the ball, try and create scoring opportunities,” he added.
“I hope the pitch will allow us to do that. It’s been a challenge for every team [to restart the games], we’ve seen the games so far [Nedbank Cup and the league].
“It hasn’t looked pretty at all and we knew the players will need a game or two to adjust and have some match fitness behind them.
“Yeah, I think it’s going to be a tough game, tough physically but I believe, from a conditioning point of view, we have prepared well and we have no injuries going into this one.”
The Polokwane-based club is placed 14th on the log table with 23 points and they desperately need three points for them to ease their relegation concerns.
Looking at the previous encounter at FNB Stadium in the first round, the Soweto giants succumbed to a 1-0 defeat and Larsen will be chasing another victory in the current campaign.
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