Durban City FC extended their unbeaten start to the Betway Premiership season with a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Golden Arrows in Tuesday’s historic KZN derby at a packed Chatsworth Stadium. The hosts took an early lead through a Jerome Karlese own goal before Junior Dion’s equalized for Arrows.
Mfanafuthi Mkhize, was named Man of the Match for his commanding performance. He expressed his pride in the recognition: “It means a lot to me, since it’s my first man of the match. I am very happy. It motivates me to work even harder going forward.”
Despite maintaining their unbeaten start, Mkhize believed the team could have taken all three points: “Even though we took the lead, they came back. I think we dropped two points. Going forward we will need to tighten up. We will take the point – seven points from three games is good.”
The derby lived up to its billing as a fiercely contested encounter. “The derby was hard, not a lot in it for both teams,” Mkhize observed. “Derbies motivate us to work really hard.”
The midfielder also paid tribute to the supporters who created a vibrant atmosphere: “We are very grateful to the fans. As you can see tonight was full. They were with us even in the last season in the NFD. We hear them on the pitch – they make themselves heard.”
Durban City FC now turn their attention to a challenging week on the road with fixtures against Polokwane City and Sekhukhune United, carrying the momentum of seven points from their opening three Premiership matches.
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