With Maritzburg United and Cape Town Spurs set for the final game in what has been a two-horse race during this year's promotion/relegation play-offs, there have been different views in the fraternity on who is likely to play in the topflight next season.
Spurs are at the top of the three-team mini log after winning both their games against Casric Stars and the one so far against Maritzburg, while the Team of Choice are second with two victories.
Going into their last match, the Pietermaritzburg outfit will want to beat the Urban Warriors at the Harry Gwala Stadium and hope to finish with a superior goal difference to keep their topflight status.
For the Mother City outfit, a draw would seal the deal to complete their return to the big league after a five-year absence while a win would be an impressive bonus.
Former Maritzburg defender Themba Shabalala explains why he thinks the KZN side has an advantage going into the match tomorrow evening.
The Good
"It's the final before the final. Honestly, if you have been following all the games, I think Maritzburg have the upper hand into Wednesday's match. If you check, Spurs haven't been doing so well away from home. In these play-offs, Spurs have been scoring one goal and winning 1-0 from all the three games they have played so far. What has worked for them is that they didn't concede in any of those games," said Shabalala.
The Bad
"What I see as a challenge for Spurs is that they have the same goal difference with Maritzburg which could make things difficult for them at Harry Gwala Stadium. It's one game that is going to be decided on goals and any score will work in favour of Maritzburg. All that Maritzburg need is three points and their status will be saved. One mistake that Spurs can do would be going to Harry Gwala Stadium to try and play for a draw. That will cost them. Maritzburg are strong when they play at Harry Gwala Stadium and they get a lot of support from the fans," he said.
The Ugly
"There's no way that the management of Maritzburg can rest while knowing that there is so much at stake. You can't watch and see a topflight status of more than R60 million going away like that. I am sure that the chairman Farook (Kadodia) and his management will do everything in their power to support the team to retain their status. My money is on Maritzburg to win this one. Spurs always make mistakes right at the end. They don't score enough goals. It should not even have come to this point for them because they were supposed to beat Tuks and get promoted. They fumbled and look where they are now. If you can go back to the time of the bio-bubble, a similar mistake was done and they let it slip right at the end. Swallows got promoted. They made their lives very difficult. Spurs should have scored three or four goals against Casric and that would have made the job very difficult for Maritzburg," added Shabalala.
Whether There's Going To Be Mind Games Or Muthi…
"Whether there's going to be mind games or muthi, Farook has been in the game for long and he won't watch while the team is going down. He has been in this kind of situation before and he knows how to deal with it. I am suspecting that we will see what we have never witnessed before in the game of football. That's why I am comparing the game to a cup final before the final. You can't lose R60 million over 90 minutes," concluded Shabalala.
Two-Horse Race: Who Will Emerge As Winners?
