Bafana legend Shaun Bartlett and Spurs can't drop the NFD ball now
Cape Town Spurs and head coach Shaun Bartlett are so close to the finish line in the PSL promotion play-offs
Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images
SPORT
Cape Town Spurs hold a big advantage in the PSL promotion play-offs, but it remains to be seen if coach Shaun Bartlett and his charges can hold on longer this time.
Spurs were in charge of the race to promotion during the regular season of the Motsepe Foundation Championship towards the end of the campaign, but they dropped the ball when it mattered the most.
They were pipped to the NFD title by Polokwane City on goal difference on a dramatic final day of the season last month.
READ: Sticking with Polokwane City has been good for Puleng Marema in more ways than one
Now with two wins halfway through the play-offs, Bafana Bafana legend Bartlett and his team are well-placed ahead of their game against Casric Stars on Wednesday afternoon.
The game, at Athlone Stadium, kicks off at 3pm.
Stars lost both their opening matches - 1-0 to Spurs at home and 2-0 to Maritzburg United. The team based in KwaMhlanga township in Mpumalanga, are on a near-impossible mission for the remaining spot in the premier division.
READ: Cape Town Spurs in the driving seat for promotion
Victory for Spurs will leave them needing just a point in their final fixture against Maritzburg United next week. That is if Maritzburg win their game against Stars on Saturday.
Casric owner and coach Bucs Mthombeni, still sees the brighter side. In the build-up to the match on Wednesday, Mthombeni told journalists:
The players cannot drop their heads, we are still left with two games. Maritzburg are still coming to our home and it’s still a good test for us. It’s just unfortunate that we lost two games in a row. I know that [PSL] teams are watching these games...agents are starting to knock [at our door to enquire about the players].
Stars will host Maritzburg in their final fixture at the Solomon Mahlangu Stadium in KwaMhlanga on Saturday.
The play-offs conclude on June 14 with the game between Maritzburg and Spurs at the Harry Gwala Stadium in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal.
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