Maritzburg United have been relegated to the Motsepe Foundation Championship and Cape Town Spurs have been promoted to the DStv Premiership after these two sides played to a goalless draw at Harry Gwala Stadium on Wednesday night.
Maritzburg needed to beat Spurs, who were top coming to this last game, having won all three PSL play-off matches with nine points. Maritzburg were second with six points after three matches, having lost to Spurs in the mini league.
The equation was simple for Maritzburg – win the game or go down. Sadly they couldn’t and sealed their place in the second tier for next season.
Before the game, the faces of Maritzburg’s players told a story that didn’t need to be asked, as they were fully focused to get the job done.
It was the most expensive game in the PSL history based on what you are guaranteed to get in the top flight next season.
Spurs were without Motsepe Foundation Championship top goal scorer Ashley Cupido, who was sent off against Casric Stars.
Therlo Moosa, preferred up top, had two sights on goal, but blasted them wide on the turn.
Whenever Rowan Human had the ball, Spurs players were sandwiching him as he had been a danger man, scoring three of four goals scored by the club prior to this match.
The crowd turned up in huge numbers as tickets were for free, and both stands at Harry Gwala Stadium were full to witness whether Maritzburg survive or Spurs get the promotion.
It was never working for Maritzburg in terms of finding the breakthrough. It led to Renaldo Leaner appearing to fake an injury in the first half and all Maritzburg quickly went straight to coach Fadlu Davids for more instructions.
As much as Spurs had chances, their game plan was always to break the play and they were happy to go at half time with the game locked goalless.
The pace of the game changed a bit in the second half and Maritzburg came close to opening the scoring with Bradley Cross rising to the top, but could not bring the ball down in the early stages.
There was a time the ball was played from the back and Maritzburg fans desperately wanted it to be kicked forward, including the management in the stands.
Afterwards, it became a chess match when it came to the subs, with Spurs coach Shaun Bartlett waiting for Davids to make his first. When he did – removing Mogamad De Goede and Kwame Peprah going with a flat back three, Bartlett injected pace forward, taking off Chumani Butsaka, Michael Morton – replacing them with Asanele Velebayi and Luvuyo Phewa respectively, in trying to put them under pressure.
Friday Samu came close to meet the powerful cross of Human later on, but that was it as Maritzburg’s place in the top flight for 15 years was sealed and Spurs came back in the big league for the first time since 2018.
