Richards Bay take positives into Kaizer Chiefs test despite slow start

Richards Bay FC head coach Ronnie Gabriel says his side’s attacking and defensive organisation gives him encouragement as they prepare to host Kaizer Chiefs in the Betway Premiership on Wednesday.

The Natal Rich Boyz have collected two draws and suffered one defeat from their opening three matches of the 2026/27 campaign. That sequence has left them with a slow start to the season, but Gabriel believes the performances contain enough evidence of progress ahead of the visit of Amakhosi.

Richards Bay will welcome the Phefeni Glamour Boys to Princess Magogo Stadium in KwaMashu, with the match scheduled to kick off at 19:30.

Rather than focus on the points dropped in their first three fixtures, Gabriel has drawn attention to the way his team has been structured with and without the ball. He says the players have generally followed the intended pressing patterns and have made a positive contribution individually.

“For us, I feel the offensive structure has been good, the defensive structure has been good,” said Gabriel.

“We’ve been pressing the right lines. We’re on the right track in terms of individual performances or individual efforts, we’re happy with it.

The Richards Bay coach also referred to the team’s previous meeting with Durban City as an example of the defensive qualities he believes should be carried into the Chiefs fixture. Although his side had to work hard and spend periods defending, Gabriel said the underlying numbers showed that they had maintained a sound defensive shape.

His assessment is that the team’s work without possession should be viewed as a strength rather than a weakness, particularly when considering how many players remained behind the ball during those phases.

“We can go back to that [Durban City] game and say we were battling, defending but that was a good defensive structure because you look at the numbers and what we had behind the ball, those were good moments.

“So, we take more the positives into the [Chiefs] game rather than the negatives.”

That approach will be tested when Kaizer Chiefs arrive at Princess Magogo Stadium. Richards Bay’s record of two draws and a defeat means they are still searching for their first win of the campaign, while Gabriel’s emphasis remains on the structures and individual efforts he feels have placed the side on the right track.

The match presents the Natal Rich Boyz with an opportunity to turn those encouraging elements into a first victory, although Gabriel’s message before the game is focused on building from the positive aspects of the opening three fixtures rather than allowing the results to define the team’s start.

The iDiski Times Digital Newspaper is completely free to download. Readers can download it using the relevant button or complete the form to have it sent to them every week.