Africa-Press – South-Africa. Maritzburg United and Cape Town Spurs are poised for a thrilling clash in the final PSL Promotion/Relegation Playoff match that will determine their fate.
The stage is set at Harry Gwala Stadium, with all eyes fixed on Wednesday’s epic encounter. Kick-off is at 19:30 with a huge crowd attendance expected at the iconic venue.
Spurs lead the promotion play-off table with a perfect record of three wins and only need a draw to secure their promotion to the DStv Premiership.
Maritzburg, on the other hand, are three points behind Spurs and must win to secure their spot in South Africa’s top-flight for the 2023/24 season.
The Team of Choice enters this crucial match with confidence following their vital 2-0 triumph over Casric Stars over the weekend, which allowed them to keep pace with Spurs.
Coach Fadlu Davids praised the unwavering support of the club’s fans, some of whom travelled the long distance from Pietermaritzburg in KwaZulu-Natal to KwaMhlanga in Mpumalanga for their Casric game on Saturday.
“They came behind us, they lifted the team,” he said after their match.
“You know, to travel all this way, to fill up two busses, it’s unbelievable.”
“They have been our driving force this entire season, we’ve let them down on many occasions.
“Thirty points, not making it on goal difference, we conceded in the last minute so many times – that was points that would have kept us alive.
“They’ve been with us through everything and now to travel here, it’s unbelievable.
“I plea now to them, who travelled here, to bring your family and let’s fill up Harry Gwala Stadium.”
Meanwhile, Spurs have been in exceptional form during the promotion play-offs, securing three consecutive victories.
They started their campaign with a 1-0 win against Casric Stars at the Solomon Mahlangu Stadium and followed it up with an impressive 1-0 victory against Maritzburg United at Athlone Stadium.
Despite facing a challenging encounter, with leading goal scorer Ashley Cupido sent off, Spurs managed to grind out a 1-0 win against Casric Stars on Wednesday last week, solidifying their position at the top of the table heading into the final fixture.
Spurs head coach Shaun Bartlett couldn’t contain his emotions after the hard-fought victory.
He expressed pride in his team’s resilience throughout the campaign, which included the heartbreak of being denied direct promotion to the PSL on the last day of regular matches when they drew with University of Pretoria and Polokwane pipped them to the post with a 4-0 win over Pretoria Callies.
Bartlett highlighted their ability to overcome adversity, having experienced similar situations several times before.
“There was a lot of emotion going through me after [the match]. Obviously, with what happened throughout the game itself,” Bartlett said.
“More than what the players gave on the field, I couldn’t ask for. We knew it was going to be a tough game, but obviously, when you go a man down, these guys will tell you, we have gone through it three or four times.
“We have always managed to win games, and that again shows the perseverance and resilience of the squad and what we have gone through the whole season. Especially with what happened on the last day against AmaTuks.
“At the end of the day, we had to pick ourselves up and regroup and start playing in the playoffs. In all three games, everybody keeps talking about goal difference. If we win games, sometimes that will not matter.”
With both teams eager to secure promotion, the stage is set for an intense battle.
Maritzburg will rely on their recent momentum and the unwavering support of their fans at home, while Spurs will draw on their resilient spirit and previous success in overcoming obstacles.
For More News And Analysis About South-Africa Follow Africa-Press
