Publications
Partners
The Stars medical team reports that the squad will be without the services of at least four players this week but coach Tom Saintfiet has regularly reminded the football fraternity that he has a highly competent squad, which is fully functional, even in the absence of a few players.
Among the players who won’t be involved for Free State Stars this week is Daouda Diakite, who is still a long way from recovering from his knee injury. Another goalkeeper within the squad, Johnny Mathole, has a concussion an is not expected to be available for selection this week.
In addition Thabiso Maharala has knee troubles, while Glenn Verbauwhede, who has made his presence felt this season, is recovering from a thigh injury and is unlikely to feature this week.
However, for everybody else it appears to be all systems go. During the last league outing Free State Stars could only muster a draw against AmaZulu.
However, on Monday, Saintfiet said that the team’s performances at
home this season have been perfectly adequate and he is confident that
his players will produce the required result against Polokwane City,
despite them being such a dangerous club.
Polokwane City are mercurial. Prior to their astonishing 2-0 win against Bidvest Wits in Johannesburg during round nine of the Premiership season, they received a 5-1 drubbing against another Free State team Bloemfontein Celtic.
There has been the contention that the players at Polokwane City are finally starting to develop a profound understanding of what it is that is required of them, after Kosta Papic took over at the helm in September.
Polokwane City are currently 14th in the league standings but they might just posses the confidence needed to execute what would effectively be an upset when they travel to the Free State this week.
