BidVest Wits coach Roger De Sa said he would need to pull some rabbits out of the hat ahead of his side's crunch Absa Premiership showdown against SuperSport United at Milpark on Saturday night (kick-off 8.15pm).

De Sa was unhappy with the 'Students' tame 1-1 draw against lowly Free State Stars at the same venue on Wednesday night and has told his players to report for training on Thursday as he intends making changes for the clash against the defending champions.

"We were poor, in fact we were completely flat. But I have to make changes and, because of this, the players are going to have to come in and train so I can explain to them what changes I intend making.

"We cannot go on like we did against Stars."

De Sa said that on the night Stars were the better side.

"At the end of the game, a draw was a good result for us. We could easily have lost as Stars missed two sitters in the second half."

He is worried about playing the champions who were unlucky to have drawn 2-2 against Santos at the Super Stadium on Tuesday night where United had their captain and defensive kingpin Bongani Khumalo sent off by referee Peter Mabuza.

United coach Gavin Hunt watched the Wits-Stars match and believed his side would be in for a tough game.

"But," stressed De Sa, "after watching us struggle against Stars I doubt Gavin will have any sleepless nights before Saturday. We are going to have to lift our game and improve big time if we are going to trouble United."

The 'Clever Boys' are still four points behind United who have 23 points from 12 matches and, on paper, this could be a titanic battle between two hard-running and well-organised teams.

Wits striker Calvin Kadi who took his tally to nine goals for the season would love to put one over his old club United while Hunt will miss Khumalo and another defender Tsietsi Mahoa who was sent off in the 3-0 win over Orlando Pirates last week. Both players are suspended. Hunt will be forced to change his defence.

Another unhappy coach was Mamelodi Sundowns Hristo Stoichkov whose side crashed 2-0 to struggling Platinum Stars at the Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace on Wednesday night. Downs tackle bottom club Jomo Cosmos at the Super Stadium on Sunday.

"That was a disaster for us," said the former Bulgarian and Barcelona star. But, he added, that 'Downs need to pick up the pieces against Cosmos who drew 3-3 against Bloemfontein Celtic in their Wednesday fixture at the Seisa Ramabodu Stadium after trailing 3-1.

Stoichkov knows he needs to regroup.

"Stars gave us a tough game. But we have to be disciplined and need to get back to our winning form. Cosmos will not be easy."

'Downs will be without their captain and tough-as-teak central defender Matthew Booth who picked up his third booking and faces an automatic one match suspension.

Stoichkov will be worried by the way his strikers failed to test the better organised Stars' defence, resulting in Downs not getting one dangerous shot on target.

Ajax Cape Town, who defeated Moroka Swallows 2-0 at Newlands on Wednesday, get a chance to avenge their 6-0 hiding by Golden Arrows in last weekend's MTN8 final played at the Orlando Stadium when they host Arrows in a league showdown at Newlands on Sunday at 3.30pm.

Arrows crashed back to earth when they lost 2-0 to an improved Kaizer Chiefs at Orlando Stadium in their Wednesday fixture.