Maritzburg United FC are on the brink of making history in the Premier Soccer League (PSL) near the Durban shoreline.
Durban braces itself for a rare momentous occasion to play host to a Maritzburg United, making their first appearance in a cup final. A new record may be written in Durban tonight. Against their ambition in a Christmas month, are the usual ostensibly decorated suspects, Mamelodi Sundowns. Having reached the final three (3) times and winning it once, like a sharp knife through butter, they are hot favourites.
The gripping Telkom Knockout (TKO) cup final between Mamelodi Sundowns FC and Maritzburg United FC takes place on Saturday night at the majestic Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban.
The intriguing cup-final match will kick off to a sold-out battle at 18h00.
En route to the final, Maritzburg scored four (4) goals in regulation time. They are a low-scoring club compared to Sundowns’ nine (9) strikes, five (5) of those against lackadaisical Amazulu FC.
The Team of Choice,ent Bidvest Wits, Highlands Park and dramatically Kaizer Chiefs packing. However, they needed a roll of dice to fall for them on the former two clubs to pull through to the semi-final. On the latter, the duel was settled in 90 minutes.
Whereas Sundowns romped through to the final on two straight wins against Amazulu and Lamontville Golden Arrows and knocked Chippa United out of the TKO cup via spot kicks. On the possibility creating more opportunities and scoring goals, they are many steps ahead.
The only tangible leveler is that both clubs won their semi-final matches 2-1 within the regular allocated time. Maritzburg had a more challenging sterner opponent though.
Sundowns come into TKO with unmatched experience accumulated from all cup competitions ranging from domestic to continental and, had a glimpse of the international spotlight. Again, this familiarity and lush experience in their squad, make them the out-and-out favourites.
Yet, records and deep pockets alone do not deliver glory. After all, the ball turns indiscriminately.
Despite all that, Masandawana last won the TKO in 2015. With Themba Zwane back in the fold from an injury layoff, and so will Gaston Sirino from suspension, coach Pitso Mosimane will see to it that the three (3) seasons of TKO draught are starved off and broken. He will definitely unleash his best eleven after resting some of the heavy hitters midweek in the wake of a winding and exhausting travel to Morocco last Saturday.
All the same, the semi-final win over Kaizer Chiefs may have given Maritzburg some profound belief. As the first-time finalists, nothing else could have better prepared and sharpened their appetites than pulling off that unbelievable knock-out blow at Mbombela Stadium in Mpumalanga on Nov. 23.
Moreover, the prospect of strutting their stuff at the magnificent Mabhida Stadium alongside the PSL behemoth on Saturday cup-final contention is a gift in abundance by and in itself.
Their head coach Eric Tinkler will hope Judas Moseamedi who fired them to a historic final appearance with a brace against the Soweto giants Kaizer Chiefs to be at his lethal peak upfront. He may need midfielders like Daylon Claasen’s pinpoint supply frequently to pose a realistic threat to and set the Pretoria side on a back foot. Poignantly, all his foot troops must be on a tip-top shape.
Undoubtedly, Ofori Antwi, the Maritzburg Ghanaian shotstopper, must be prepared for relentless fireworks from a fiery offensive Sundowns force. Although he has a good coverdefense with Nazeer Allie Rushine De Reuck at the back, he may be the difference, the busied and a tiebreaker in the final.
Masandawana too, have their challenges in the goalkeeping unit. Dennis Onyango, provided the Ugandan starts, has his own slippery moments. His second-in-command Zambian international Kennedy Mweene showed his rustiness by parrying the ball in the back of the net the past Tuesday night in a league tie against Stellenbosch FC in Tshwane.
Altogether, the Team of Choice is on the cusp of going in the annals of history in the PSL. Tinkler spotted an ebullient demeanor at a media conference on Thursday. His foot soldiers better rally on Saturday. For the TKO ultimate prize clinch is pretty close.
For them, history is just within 90 minutes, even 120 minutes away, or the last push in penalties from the confetti-showering ultimate triumph.
Are the football zealots up for a shock result or the status quo will remain intact on the KwaZulu-Natal festive-season glittering night? The emphatic answer will be revealed when all is said and done.