Maritzburg United’s future in the DStv Premiership soccer league hangs by a thread.
Relegation-threatened United play their do-or-die match against the DStv Premiership champions, Mamelodi Sundowns, in Pretoria on Tuesday evening.
It’s United’s last game of the season, before the premiership’s penultimate round of matches on Saturday.
Apart from hoping for a victory against Sundowns, they also depend on losses or draws for Marumo Gallants and Chippa United to avoid relegation.
But their fate also lies in their own hands. The odds are stacked against them. They play an away game and also have an inferior goal difference.
Their coach Fadlu Davids says they are gunning for maximum points as they have nothing to lose.
“We really have to be active and be proactive. We have to be aggressive with the ball. We have to score goals. Also we know at the moment it’s all goals that win the matches. We have to go for three points,” says Davids.
Meanwhile, Maritzburg United Chairperson, Farook Kadodia, believes playing their crucial game ahead of fellow strugglers at the bottom of the log will disadvantage them.
The team’s cries to reschedule this encounter with Sundowns so that it’s played at the same time as the other matches, fell on deaf ears.
“We were disappointed that we went to the league to request to play all matches together Marumo Gallants, Chippa United and our game together, but they refused us so after our game everything will be left with those that whatever result may come that’s our concern.”
