Richards Bay accept venue setback as Gabriel demands points

The Natal Rich Boyz are currently unable to use the uMhlathuze Stadium because of venue-related challenges, forcing them to stage some of their early-season fixtures elsewhere. 

Richards Bay established a strong home record last season, making their venue a difficult destination for some of the league’s biggest sides. 

Gabriel says they now have to recreate that same mentality despite playing away from Richards Bay.

"It's a blow to us, I'd really have liked to play the games back home in Umhlathuze but the situation is that we have to play in Durban. We have to plan correctly, we have to be ready for the new environment and we have to collect points because we have to treat it as a home fixture and we have to make the opponents feel that they are away from home even though we are playing in Durban," Gabriel said.

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The KwaZulu Natal side played a 1-1 draw with Durban City at Chatsworth Stadium, with new recruit Nqaba Xulu making an immediate impression by putting Richards Bay ahead in the ninth minute, marking his first league goal since joining the club.

The forward arrived from newly promoted Milford FC during the off-season, with Richards Bay officially confirming his signing in July.

Gabriel says Xulu has already shown enough during pre-season and in the opening matches to suggest he can become an important attacking option as the campaign progresses.

"Xulu has been showing good signs from the pre-season and the first few games that we played him. He's showing signs that he can do a job for the club, he can score goals and he proved it here this evening," the coach added. 

"I mean what a well taken goal, he had a defender to eliminate, he was so calm, cool. He had to take on a seasoned professional and put the ball away in the back of the net and those type of finishes are what we need in the club. You know on a weekly basis and we just need to polish up in terms of our defensive principles and we'd be okay."

Richards Bay’s next Betway Premiership assignment is against Kaizer Chiefs on 26 August. 

The fixture is scheduled for 19:30 at Moses Mabhida Stadium.