Cape Town Spurs are in line for an historic league and cup double, but the African Champions Cup finalists are one of the teams they have to get past
Soccer: Lungile Madywabe
CAUTIOUS, is how Cape Town Spurs coach Mich d’Avray still sounds after his team’s Bob Save Super Bowl semi- final win over Soweto glamour boys Kaizer Chiefs on Saturday, making it a possibilty but still a distant reality for Spurs to win the League and Bob Save double. “Manchester United were in the same position last year but they ended up with nothing,” said D Avray
Much depends on whether their opponents in both their league and cup encounters will be psychologically capable of beating a team that has the resilience and physical ability to withstand adverse conditions. Every time they scored on Saturday there was silence on the stands. Every time they launched an attack their efforts were met with dead silence around the stadium. Their opponents in the final are second division Pretoria City, who overcame last year’s finalists Qwa- Qwa Stars.
If Spurs win both these trophies they would be the first team from the Cape coast to achieve this feat. With two games to go and five points adrift of second- placed Sundowns, Spurs need two points to clinch the title.
Sundowns, serious contenders until last Friday night when they were beaten 1-0 by Hellenic, look like they will have to settle for the second spot and play in the Confederation of African Football competition — a cup all runners-up of the league feature in.
Sundowns still have to get past relegation-haunted Moroka Swallows and African Champions Cup finalists Orlando Pirates.
Spurs play an away game against Pirates this Saturday at the FNB stadium and their last game is a home town derby against Hellenic on November 15. If Spurs fail to get a point this weekend who believes Hellenic will try and stop a Cape Town party by beating them?
Orlando Pirates made an historic advance to the finals of the African Champions Cup when they drew with Uganda Express on Sunday. They go through on an aggregate of 2-1. They won the first leg 1-0 at the FNB three weeks ago. If Pirates win the this trophy they will feature in the Super Cup, against the winner of the Cup Winners Cup early next year.
However, it is bad news for national team coach Clive Barker because five of the Pirates players (Edward Motale, Mark Fish, John Moeti, Hellman Mkhelele and Marks Maponyane) are in the national squad which means they will be away on the weekend of the friendly international against Germany.
Pirates play Asec of the Ivory Coast in the second leg of the Champions Cup on the weekend of December 16.
On the domestic scene Pirates will have to play five games in two weeks to make it possible for the league to round off its 1995 activities on time so that all players eligible for the national squad can be available. Anyway the weekend of the 18 November is the Simba Four Nations.
Pirates last game on Wednesday 15 against Chiefs which under different circumstances would usualy generate public interest will lack all the tension. Pirates are still to play two away games against Rangers at Chartsworth and Stars at Charles Mopeli stadium.