DURBAN City players have one last heist to pull — help the club finish in the Top8 and they can record an excellent season.
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Durban City have made life difficult for themselves in retaining their Top 8 position heading into the final two league matches of the season. Three losses and three draws have characterised their last six encounters, with just three points being extracted.
That has opened the door wide open for teams like Stellenbosch or Siwelele to take serious aim at the Top8.
City travel to Orlando Amstel Arena for their match against Orlando Pirates on Saturday at 3pm with AmaZulu at Moses Mabhida being their final match. These two incredibly tough fixtures make a Top8 finish seem unlikely, especially given their recent form.
Winning the Nedbank Cup may have been a push for glory but the tail end of the league is a different story. Golden Arrows, who are in eighth position and a single point behind City, have the opportunity to secure a better Top 8 finish, as coach Manqoba Mngqithi predicted.
Arrows take on Chippa United and TS Galaxy for their final two games, which seem relatively easier than City's final games.
TS Galaxy beating Mamelodi Sundowns 3-2 on Tuesday will mean that Pirates are going to be extremely aggressive in trying to secure the three points and make sure of league win with a game to spare.
That leaves Durban with an arduous ask come Saturday. Stellenbosch are five points away from Durban City in the league and have an opportunity to knock the Citizens out of the Top8. Stellies take on relegation-threatened Orbit College and Marumo Gallants in their final two encounters.
College and Gallants — two sides that are fighting relegation after performing poorly for the past 28 games, and that presents Stellenbosch with the opportunity to jump into the MTN8 next season.
The first season for City may have been a wave of emotions, mostly highs, given it was their first dance on the big ballroom floor and they managed to grab a piece of silverware. But this is where the league gets real. Everything on the line with two games to go.
The stellar defence on Durban City will have to come to the rescue for the last couple weeks, and that should at least play a role in influencing the strikers to go for it in the next two games and secure their Top8 finish.