The moment of truth has arrived for Maritzburg United in the Premier Soccer League promotion-relegation playoffs, as they need nothing less than three points if they are to keep their hope of retaining their top-flight football status alive.
Maritzburg will battle it out against strugglers Casric Stars in their final play-off game at the Solomon Mahlangu Stadium in Mpumalanga on Saturday afternoon.
The Team of Choice is currently second on the mini-table with three points, six points behind log leaders Cape Town Spurs, who are on the verge of a historic return to the Premiership.
Spurs stretched their lead at the top following a hard-fought narrow 1-0 victory against Casric on Wednesday.
Spurs were reduced to 10 men and played most of the second-half with one man down after striker Ashley Cupido was shown a red card for what seemed like a use of foul language against midfielder Ngoanamello Rammala.
It is without any shed of doubt that coach Fadlu Davids and his troops will be under immense pressure to walk away with maximum points, as a draw will also not be enough to take the last round of play-off games down to the wire.
This will be devastating for Maritzburg United because it will mean they will spend the next season playing in the Motsepe Foundation Championship.
They do, however, go up against a heavily wounded Casric side, who are already out of the DStv Premiership promotion race, having lost three games in a row.
However, playing the Mpumalanga-based outfit will not be a walk in the park, as they will seek to bow out of the play-offs with pride and walk away with a victory or a single point.
Maritzburg will have to fight until the last gasp in their efforts to return to the Premiership in the 2023/24 league campaign. Kick-off is at 3pm.
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