Now Baroka have to avoid relegation

Newly crowned Telkom TKO champions Baroka FC remain stranded in the Absa Premiership relegation zone, but coach Wedson Nyirenda is adamant they will escape the quicksand in the next few months.

Baroka managed to collect a lone point in their goalless draw with Mamelodi Sundowns at the Lucas Moripe Stadium in Pretoria on Tuesday to move from second from the bottom to eleventh spot on the log.

Nyirenda and his technical team have their work cut out for them as only two points separate Baroka and bottomof-the-log Black Leopards with two rounds of matches remaining before the halfway mark.

“We are not going to be relegated‚” the coach said.

“If you look at our game against Sundowns‚ you will [see] our players have matured.

“With a team boasting an average age of 24‚ we won the final and two days later put up a fight against a formidable team like Sundowns.

“This tells me we are getting somewhere.”

“It was not an easy game because Sundowns played a good game,” Nyirenda said.

“They were organised and they dictated most of the match.

“But we tried to catch them on the counter-attack and we could have got two in the first half but we missed.

“But‚ that is football and a point away from home is vital for us looking at where we are.”

Part of Baroka’s mission is to end the season clear of the relegation zone and it continues on Sunday when they host Bidvest Wits‚ the same side they dumped out of the Telkom Knockout at the semifinal stage.

“We have played big teams recently and we did well‚” Nyirenda said.

“The players have gained confidence.

“We are not so much worried because playing big teams is easier as you know what they do.”

After the Wits match‚ Baroka will end the year with a trip to Maritzburg United at the Harry Gwala Stadium.