Tough challenge awaits Maritzburg United
THE ‘Team of Choice’, Maritzburg United, will be looking to swiftly get back into the swing of things this weekend as the KwaZulu-Natal club look to tackle the might of Gavin Hunt’s Bidvest Wits in a home Premier Soccer League (PSL) fixture at Harry Gwala Stadium.
Fadlu Davids’ team languish in 15th place on the 16-team league table with one point from their first three games and will be looking to build some much needed momentum after an extended break.
Having lost their first three matches of the season, which included an MTN knock-out match, the men from the “sleepy hollow” then managed to sneak a point against Soweto giants Kaizer Chiefs with 10 men, after a Siphesihle Ndlovu red card. Davids will be hoping to utilise that performance as a platform for Saturday’s all-important fixture.
At the opposite end of the table lies none other than Wits themselves who sit in first position with 12 points from their first five matches with an impressive goal difference of +10.
Davids could not have wished for a tougher fixture to get the ball rolling again with club chairman Farouk Kadodia echoing such sentiments.
chatted with Kadodia, who is looking forward to Saturday’s challenge as well as the rest of the season.
“It is going to be a tough match against a financially secure Wits team, who have a large chequebook, but we will be looking to bounce back after the long break and accumulate some much needed points,” said Kadodia.
A loss will only serve to increase the pressure on the coach but a victory will instil confidence in the camp.
“We will be looking for our first win of the season and then take it from there. We can’t afford any more slip-ups but will take heart from such a fantastic performance last season. A win will definitely spur the boys on for the remainder of the season and encourage them to match the highs of a few months ago,” stated Kadodia.
However the weekend’s game may pan out though, Kadodia has faith that things will indeed turn around and that the team can achieve something similar to their results in previous season.
“Our aim is still to finish off in the top five on the table and reach at least another cup final. It will be challenging but I feel that we have the resources, the players and the fans who can help us reach these goals. I urge our supporters to fill up the stadium for this clash.”
The stage is set for a mouth-watering battle between a wounded lion and the leader of the pack in what should be a keen tactical battle between two astute tacticians in Davids and Hunt.
Can the inexperienced but exuberant Davids outwit his pedigreed rival, who has won four PSL titles to date, or will the form and power of Wits be too much for the hosts to handle?
Whatever does transpire, it is sure to be a footballing feast for local fans.
Saturday’s game kicks off at 6pm at Harry Gwala Stadium in Pietermaritzburg.