Huge game for Maritzburg
THE relegation roller-coaster ride could produce a few more heady twists when Maritzburg United pitch their survival battle against visiting SuperSport United tonight, and Jomo Cosmos and University of Pretoria face off in a six-pointer on Sunday.
The results of the mid-week matches conspired to offer Maritzburg an opportunity to climb fully out of the drop zone if they beat SuperSport tonight.
They could well stay above the bottom two by the end of the weekend if second-bottom Cosmos and third-bottom Tuks draw their clash.
One point separates the troubled trio after Maritzburg edged Free State Stars away, Cosmos drew their outing against Bloemfontein Celtic, and Pretoria lost to Kaizer Chiefs mid-week.
Chiefs’ victory could also have a bearing on the title race. It ended a five-match winless league run, which keeps them in the race for third place before tomorrow’s late night trip to log leaders Mamelodi Sundowns.
With their confidence tank topped up once more, the Amakhosi could derail Sundowns’ league aspirations by denying them three points.
The Brazilians’ draw at Ajax Cape Town, following Wits’ win over SuperSport, leaves them with a four-point advantage with four games to play.
It’s been a wobbly week for Sundowns, being dumped from the Nedbank Cup and the African Champions League qualifiers, as well as having their lead cut by Wits.
That lead will be stripped to one point if the Students overcome Chippa United in an earlier game tomorrow night.
Maritzburg’s mission becomes trickier with every outing.
In their last two matches they had a player red-carded, which means coach Ernst Middendorp will miss Deolin Mekoa and Pogiso Sanoka through suspension tonight.
Winger Mekoa will return for their next game at Orlando Pirates, which will be defender Sanoka’s last game out.
Thereafter they host Ajax and end the campaign at home against Cosmos.
Challenge
SuperSport are comfortably positioned to finish in the top eight and challenge for Nedbank Cup honours.
Attacker Dove Wome is suspended tonight, but Baxter boasts an enviable arsenal with Thuso Phala, Kingston Nkhatha, Bradley Grobler and Kiwi international Jeremy Brockie.
Defeat for SuperSport would allow Golden Arrows to leapfrog them for eighth place, provided they get the better of Free State Stars in Chatsworth tomorrow.
The First Division promises an equally tense title tussle.
Harry Gwala Stadium will host Royal Eagles’ bid for promotion when they tackle Baroka tomorrow afternoon.
Eagles can replace the Limpopo side in second position with victory.
That would dent Baroka’s push for automatic promotion, and help Eagles soar to within a point of Highlands Park, who visit FC Cape Town on Sunday. Njabulo Ngidi
THE SEEDS of the revolution that Pitso Mosimane and Steve Komphela are involved in were first laid at the Frankfurt airport.
The two, along with the late John “Shoes” Moshoeu, planned to contribute to local football beyond their playing days when they met in the German city to connect to South Africa to link up with their Bafana Bafana teammates from Turkey, where Komphela played, and Greece, where Mosimane represented Ionikos.
Those seeds have borne fruit, with Mosimane becoming the first South African coach to win all domestic trophies on offer and four games away from guiding Mamelodi Sundowns to a record seventh league title.
Komphela has also made a name for himself refining rough diamonds who have gone to shine across the country.
The Absa Premiership might not be returning to Naturena, but Amakhosi can have a say where it goes when Komphela comes up against his friend Mosimane tomorrow night at Loftus Versfeld, with the Brazilians just four points ahead of second-placed Wits.
“Pitso is an activist,” Komphela said. “Beyond being a football coach, Pitso has views regarding a lot of issues. I think I am the same, highly opinionated and sometimes misunderstood.”
“Steve is a colleague and a friend,” Mosimane said.
“We have shared some great memories with him when we were still playing, travelling to Bafana Bafana.
“I like his mentality and philosophy. We always said that we were going to contribute to local football when we were still playing.” VILA-REAL: Liverpool’s ambitions of reaching their first European final in almost a decade suffered a blow as Villarreal netted an injury-time 1-0 winner in their first-leg match last night.
After a first half of few chances, Cedric Bakambu’s header clipped the Reds’ upright shortly after the break.
Liverpool went closest when Roberto Firmino’s low shot hit the post.
The Reds looked set for a creditable draw in Spain until they switched off to allow substitute Adrian Lopez to tap in Denis Suarez’s low cross.
Despite the dramatic winner, the semi-final still remains delicately poised before next Thursday’s return leg at Anfield.
The winners will face either Spanish holders Sevilla or Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk, who drew 2-2 in their first leg, in the Swiss city of Basel on May 18.
“I think we played a good game. Everyone saw Villarreal’s quality, but we had some chances to score,” said Liverpool keeper Simon Mignolet.
“It didn’t happen, but we still have it all to play for. It was a very tactical game. They were tough to break down, but with the fans behind us it is there to play for at home.”
Meanwhile, South African-born teenager Keith Groeneveld has taken no time to make a positive impact at Manchester United, scoring a goal just days after arriving at the club on trial.
Groeneveld found the net in the United youth side’s 8-0 thrashing of Burnley on Wed-