Richards Bay coach Brandon Truter believes his team has faced a challenging fixture list at the start of the season.

The club has encountered several top-eight teams from the previous season, including Orlando Pirates, TS Galaxy, Stellenbosch FC, Cape Town City, and Sekhukhune United, both in the league and the Carling Knockout.

After facing Pirates in the first round of the league, Richards Bay will travel to Orlando Stadium to face the Soweto Giants again in the second round on Tuesday. This unusual scheduling is due to Pirates’ participation in the CAF Champions League group stage.

Despite reaching the semi-finals of the Carling Knockout, and defeating strong teams like Sekhukhune United and Cape Town City, Truter would prefer league points. With Richards Bay currently sitting in 12th place and Pirates leading the league with six consecutive wins, the upcoming match presents a significant challenge.

“Two wins in a cup now, I would have changed any day for six points,” said Truter. 

“That’s our bread and butter. But so far in the league, in the six games that we have played, we have played against five of the top six that ended last season; Pirates, Sekhukhune, Stellenbosch, Cape Town City in the Carling Knockout and we had TS Galaxy in the first game, it was a tough opening for us in eight games. 

“I’m pretty sure we can kick on from there. We now have Pirates on Tuesday and we are finished with them for the rest of the season (in the league). 

“So, the future is looking good, especially with the progress that we are making.”   

Bay will play against Pirates without Yanela Mbuthuma and Langelihle Mhlongo, who are all suspended.