Poggenpoel Warns Of Fatigue Ahead Of Durban Derby
Durban City defender Brooklyn Poggenpoel admits that while physical preparation time has been scarce, the “Natal Rich Boys” are tactically primed for Saturday’s high-stakes Durban Derby against Golden Arrows.
The two sides meet at King Zwelithini Stadium with only two places separating them in the Betway Premiership standings. Durban City currently holds sixth spot (35 points), while Arrows sit eighth (28 points), both having played 23 matches.
Durban City sit sixth with 35 points from 23 matches, while their opponents are eighth with 28 points from the same number of games.
Despite the limited time for physical preparation, Poggenpoel remains confident, stating that the team is tactically ready for the encounter.
“Preparations this week have been tricky,” said Poggenpoel.
“We came from the semi-final into the Mamelodi Sundowns game, then had a recovery session and now preparation for Arrows. There hasn’t been a lot of time to prepare physically, but we have focused more on tactics — watching videos, clips and analysing.
“It’s a derby this weekend, so we want to go out there and put in a great performance for our fans. We’ve drawn against them twice — in the Nedbank Cup quarter-finals, where we went on to win on penalties, and in the first round of the league.
“So we want to go out there, get a positive result, bounce back from the midweek defeat and get ourselves back on track. I think we are more than capable of doing it.
“There’s a lot of belief in the squad. We put in a solid performance against Mamelodi Sundowns. Obviously, the result didn’t go our way, but we were very resilient in defence and created chances as well. So I think this week we can look forward to a good performance.”
Poggenpoel also lauded Arrows’ playing style and highlighted what they expect from them.
“Arrows are a very good team. They keep the ball well and play with good intensity. I expect a high-intensity game, with the ball kept on the ground — what they call carpet football,” he said.
He added that Arrows’ heavy 5-0 defeat to Orlando Pirates in their previous match does not define them.
“So it’s going to be very interesting to see how it goes. They are a good side, and although they lost midweek, I don’t think that reflects who they are. They play very well, and I think it’s going to be a tough one,” he concluded.
