Middendorp refuses to see draw as fatal to title hopes
City also drop points as Wits go second
Chiefs coach Ernst Middendorp is still clinging to Kaizer Chiefs’ league title hopes after their 1-all draw against SuperSport United in Mbombela on Friday night.
“The chance‚ had we won‚ would have been a lot bigger to come a lot closer [to the teams at the top] but at the same time you know Orlando Pirates has to go to Black Leopards and you are not winning there easily‚” Middendorp said.
He is holding onto the hope that sides like Sundowns and Pirates will drop points in their remaining seven games.
“Orlando Pirates must still play Bidvest Wits and if I’m not mistaken Orlando Pirates must still play Mamelodi Sundowns.”
Middendorp said he felt the frontrunners could cancel each other out and allow Chiefs to still sneak into a championship-winning slot.
“We delivered a draw as two teams sitting a bit behind but at the same time if they deliver a draw and we are capable to win our games … let’s wait and see what happens.
“We are going from game to game and our next big target is now of course the cup game on March 31 and we will do everything to be well-prepared and deliver a good performance on the field and be successful.”
Chiefs will be back in Mbombela at the end of the month to take on Cape Town City in the quarterfinals of the Nedbank Cup and resume their league campaign at home to struggling Baroka on April 6.
■ Cape Town City’s title hopes took a dent when they were held to a 0-0 draw by Polokwane City in a league match at the Cape Town Stadium on Friday night.
Coach Benni McCarthy cut a frustrated figure on the sidelines as his side failed to spark against a resolute Polokwane outfit that had clearly come for a point and could not be coaxed into going for more.
■ Bidvest Wits recorded a thrilling 4-2 win over Bloemfontein Celtic in a PSL match at the Dr Molemela Stadium on Friday night. The victory moves the Clever Boys to second spot on the league standings, while Phunya Sele Sele remain eighth on the table.
It took only three minutes for the hosts to break the deadlock after the Clever Boys’ defence was exposed. Tebogo Potsane was the man who beat Wits goalkeeper Darren Keet with a decent finish to make it 1-0 to Celtic as early as the third minute, with the second goal coming from Tshegofatso Mabasa. But Wits’ emphatic victory was secured through goals by Gabadinho Mhango, Gift Motupa and Terrence Dzvukamanja’s brace.