Staff Reporter.
Maritzburg United kept their chances of surviving relegation alive after beating Casric Stars 2-0 in the PSL promotion/relegation play-off at the Solomon Mahlangu Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Goals from Rowan Human and Mogamad de Goede ensured that Wednesday’s home game against Cape Town Spurs is a winner takes all game.
The win not only moved Maritzburg United to six points, but also level on goal difference with the unbeaten Spurs, who have won all their games 1-0.
The game took place in the backdrop of Clive Barker’s passing on Saturday morning, with Maritzburg United being the last club he coached before stepping down permanently into development.
The teams honoured the 1996 African Cup of Nations winning coach with a moment of silence, a solemness that was not only well observed by the vibrant crowd, but also followed it up with a hearty round of applause that Barker would have appreciated.
The Team of Choice controlled the match from the start and they fired the first warning in the 12th minute when Karim Kimvuidi forced goalkeeper Ludwe Mpakumpaku into a smart save.
However, Mpakumpaku was beaten three minutes before the half-hour mark when Amadou Soukouna set up Rowan Human, who burst into the Believers’ box before scoring to hand the visitors the lead and Maritzburg were 1-0 up at halftime.
Casric found it difficult to penetrate the Maritzburg defence after the restart and coach Bucs Mthombeni decided to introduce former Kaizer Chiefs attacking midfielder Given Thibedi in the 57th minute.
Both teams launched attacks in the last 20 minutes of the game and De Goede grabbed the visitors’ second goal of the game when he beat Mpakumpaku with a fine finish in the 71st minute to seal Maritzburg’s 2-0 win.
The two-goal win means Maritzburg just need to beat Cape Town Spurs in the final game of the play-offs, as they would overtake them on the log based on the better goal difference, while a draw or Spurs win would put them into the DStv Premiership.