Casric Stars a tough nut to crack for Cape Town City in PSL playoffs

CASRIC Stars will hope that their good home record stands them in good stead as they seek to gain promotion to the Premiership via the promotional playoffs.

Engaged in a three-way battle with Cape Town City and Orbit College to play in the country’s elite league in the upcoming season, Stars are keen to finally come right, having failed in the previous campaign.

They have the chance to do exactly that in the next two matches which they will play in their own backyard in KwaMhlanga’s Solomon Mahlangu Stadium in Mpumalanga.

After the two opening matches of the playoffs ended goalless, all three clubs on a point each.

Stars can secure promotion by winning this afternoon against City (3pm kick-off) and on Saturday.

They host City today, and then will welcome Orbit whom they held goalless away in Rustenburg in the playoffs opener.

No doubt the team that finished third in the Motsepe Foundation Championship will believe they can get the better of the Citizens.

After all, Stars have shown to be a tough nut to crack in front of their supporters as they lost just three times at home in the normal season.

They have won eight times, and that record seems to suggest City are going to have to work hard to get something out of their trip up country.

In City, they host an elite league side that is going through some kind of turmoil, the Citizens having had a nightmare of a season to finish second bottom in the Premiership ahead of Royal AM, who could not play the entire season due to their battle with the South African Revenue Services (SARS).

Just this week, following their goalless draw against Orbit in a match they hosted, City lost their prospective coach in Andries Ulderink, who was meant to lead them next season.

The Dutchman was at the club’s match against Orbit, but has since left to take up a role as a member of the Bayer Leverkusen technical team under the leadership of Erik ten Hag.

Stars would have watched City struggling against Orbit, and will no doubt have spotted chinks in the elite league team’s armoury to take advantage of.

Yet to score a goal in the playoffs inclusive of from their campaign last season, the Mpumalanga outfit have been working hard at being sharper in the final third. 

They might not have scored against Orbit in the opening match, but they do make some inroads into the danger zone.

In their own backyard this afternoon, they will be confident of testing the highly experienced Darren Keet between the City goalposts.

Kermit Erasmus is going to have to show off his vast experience to help Stars shine.

Should they beat City today, and then win when Orbit come to visit, Stars will enjoy in unassailable lead atop the table with seven points. 

City could then catch them by winning at Orbit and then beating Stars in Cape Town – a tall ask.

We are looking too far ahead, though, for the immediate focus should be on this afternoon’s match, which will hopefully produce a goal and a winner given the goalless stalemate dished out in the initial two matches.

No doubt Casric Stars are really keen on making home-ground advantage to count as they seek to upgrade to playing football at the elite level of the Premiership.