Stalemate will do the trick

Sibongiseni Gumbi

A goalless 90 minutes of football is what stands between Maritzburg United and a historic first appearance in a cup final.

The Team of Choice have one foot in the MTN8 final after securing a crucial 1-1 draw away at SuperSport United in the first leg of the semifinal two weeks ago.

A win or goalless draw is what Fadlu Davids’ (above) team need in the second leg set for Harry Gwala Stadium in Pietermaritzburg on Saturday night.

The club’s chairman, Farouk Kadodia, has urged fans to come out in their numbers to give them an added boost as they look to make history.

“Playing at home in the second leg, we are looking for the fans to bring the excitement to propel the team towards the final. Our supporters will play a key role. We’ve seen in the last few years the fans rallying very strongly behind the team. When we were on the brink of relegation the fans kept us afloat,” said Kadodia.

Maritzburg’s seventh place finish last season was their best ever in the top flight and never reached a final in an official cup competition, having previously only ever gone as far as the semifinals.

“We have previously reached the semifinals in the Nedbank Cup and the Telkom Knockout … now in the MTN8, we are potentially only one draw from the final,” added Kadodia.

The team have had a dream start to their season under young coach Davids, who has inspired his young players to three wins and a draw in the first four matches. Davids has got the likes of Evans Rusike, Bandile Shandu, Lebohang Maboe and Sheldon van Wyk buzzing and playing good football and Kadodia is pleased with what he has seen so far.