WeeklySA_AdminFOUR TO GO: Orbit College and Kruger United in rigorous tussle with log leaders Durban Cit for promotion to elite league
By Masoja Cele
With four rounds to complete the season two of the Motsepe Foundation Championship title chasing candidates Orbit College FC and Kruger United will cross swords in a much anticipated clash on Sunday at Olympia Park Stadium, Rustenburg. Kick –off 15:00.
The pair are in a rigorous tussle with long-time leaders Durban City for promotion to the elite league. Kruger United have garnered forty one points from twenty six matches and nestled third behind the KZN side who are on forty six points from twenty five rounds.
The Mpumalanga based side would be par on points with City if they had claimed all six points in their two previous matches. Unfortunately, there are no if and therefore in football language.
As is stands, ‘’The Village Boys’’ will have to redouble their work rate if they nurse any hope of retaining their place in the championship playoff or even unsettle Durban City should they falter during the remaining matches. Truth be told, ‘’The Village Boys have done exceptionally well consider that this is their first campaign in the professional ranks.
To sugar coat the accomplishment, they are young only founded in 2023. Nevertheless, football history would only judge them on how they finish the race rather than how they began the race.
‘’The Village Boys’’ technical team led by Abraham Mongoya will hope that experience campaigners like defenders Darrel Matsheke and Lehlohonolo Nonyane, midfielders George Maluleka and Tshediso Patjie and striker Mumuni Abubakar will bring their football knowledge to the park to help the team acquire the necessary results. All the above mentioned players have massive Betway Premiership familiarity.
Against Orbit College, ‘’The Village Boys’’ will have to be more cautious. The North West hopefuls are also on the race to win a Championship play-offs slot or even challenge for automatic promotion should City slipped.
With four matches to complete the season ‘’The Mswenko Boys’’ have collected a total of forty three points. A hard fought 0-0 draw away to lowly Cape Town Spurs last week denied Orbit an opportunity to leapfrog Kruger United for second position.
But, an important 2-1 win at Hungry Lions on Wednesday pushed the North West side to second only three points behind the leaders.
Weekly SA Mirror spoke to Orbit coach Pogiso Makhoye who had this to say ‘’ It’s a difficult week for us. We are playing against a team that last played on Good Friday while we had to travel to Northern Cape to another tough opponent Hungry Lions. However, I believe that if we could beat Lions 2-1 in their backyard, then there’s no reason not to achieve that feat against Kruger at home’’.
‘’We know it won’t be an easy outing against Kruger as we are both competing for promotion. Nevertheless, we will approach the match with a big heart to compete for three points, if not then a point will do for us.
Though we play as a collective, I trust our leading goal scorer (seven goals) Siyabulela Mabela brings along his scoring boots on Sunday’’ explained the coach.
The winner between the two sides will slightly indicate the heading direction of the title or play-offs.
