Cape Town City aim to rectify horrific statistic in away games

Cape Town City are the only one of the 32 teams from the National Soccer League, the Absa Premiership and GladAfrica Championship yet to win on the road this season, a damning statistic as they travel to bottom side Polokwane City on Sunday.

All other clubs in the Premiership and GladAfrica (the National First Division) have tasted success away from home, but City are still waiting to break their duck after 10 away games this campaign as they meet Polokwane at Old Peter Mokaba Stadium.

Their cause will not have been helped by an embarrassing 1-0 away loss to second-tier Mbombela United in the Nedbank Cup last weekend, meaning City’s last away success in any competition came at Chippa United in April last year, a run of 12 games without success.

New coach Jan Olde Riekerink has not been able to solve their away-day blues, having lost four and drawn two of his six games on the road.

Were it not for some strong home form, City would be languishing near the foot of the Premiership table, but as it stands could yet be sucked into the relegation mix, especially if they lose to woeful Polokwane.

Clinton Larsen’s Polokwane have lost 15 of their 17 games in all competitions, but may look at the poor travellers from Cape Town as the perfect opportunity to improve that damning statistic.

The Mother City club are not helped by a long-term injury to star striker Kermit Erasmus, which has left them thin on options upfront, with the side looking blunt and devoid of ideas at times against Mbombela.

Olde Riekerink’s side have made three previous trips to Polokwane to face the home side with a single victory that came last season under Benni McCarthy as Ayanda Patosi and Mthembu hit the target.

City will hope to have goalkeeper Peter Leeuwenburgh back after he suffered a horrific facial injury in their last away league clash at Maritzburg United.