SuperSport United will win back-to-back Absa Premiership titles if they collect three points from visitors Golden Arrows in their penultimate match of the season at the Super Stadium on Wednesday night.
Kick-off is at 7.30pm.
United´s only challengers, Orlando Pirates, have to beat Ajax Cape Town at Newlands — also Wednesday night at 7.30pm — if they should hope to take the season to Saturday´s final round of fixtures.
United head the standings with 54 points, followed by Bucs on 51 with each contender having two matches to play.
United have a superior goal difference and can afford to drop three points, but SuperSport coach Gavin Hunt, fired a broadside at the PSL administration for the manner in which they have handled the fixtures this season.
Stormed an angry Hunt: ”We will not have kicked a ball for two full weeks by the time we play Arrows. It is a disgrace. How on earth can teams be idle for a full two weeks at the end of the season?”
United´s last game was the 1-1 draw at Loftus against Pirates two weeks ago.
Hunt added: ”We played a whole heap of matches in January and February because of the African Champions League and international matches. That is fine, but we could have finished the league at least three weeks ago if the fixtures were handled right.”
Hunt is not the only coach to complain after the stop-start fixtures this season. Pirates coach Ruud Krol, complained after that 1-1 draw that his team were rusty after they had experienced a two week layoff.
Hunt said his team were also rusty: ”We have been starved of match competition and it is not our first such break this season, and now play Arrows in what will be one of the biggest games of our season and the PSL season. The PSL are not doing the product or themselves any favours by not keeping players and teams busy every week.”
But Hunt is determined to seal the championship, although he is wary of Arrows. ”The bottom line is we have two matches to play and need three points to retain the league. I am not getting carried away or putting pressure on the players. I rate Arrows highly and they are not going to be easy to subdue.
”But we have been in this position of winning the league for the past month and now hopefully the players will go out and clinch it.”
United travel to Cape Town on Saturday to meet Santos in their final match of the season.
The danger man for United and their title hopes is Arrows’ deadly striker and the league’s new leading scorer, Richard Henyekane, who scored twice in the 3-1 win over Santos at Chatsworth on Sunday to take his league tally for the season to 17 — one more than Ajax Cape Town’s Mabhuti Khenyeza.
Hunt will rely on Anthony Laffor, Glen Salmons plus wingers Daine Klate and Elias Pelembe to unlock the Arrows defence.
United´s veteran goalkeeper, Andre Arendse summed up: ”At least we have our destiny in our own hands. Three points will do it for us and the mood in the camp is one of quiet confidence and determination.”
Pirates are in high spirits after their sparkling 2-1 win over third placed Kaizer Chiefs in the Soweto Derby played at Ellis Park last weekend, but Krol is not getting excited: ”It is a tough game for us. We have to win and then hope SuperSport lose.”
At the bottom of the table three clubs who are fighting to get clear of the dreaded promotion/relegation playoff place, Bloemfontein Celtic, Thanda Royal Zulu and Maritzburg United, are in action in a full programme.
Celtic, who defeated Platinum Stars 2-0 at home at the weekend, face bottom and already relegated Bay United at the Free State Stadium, needing another three points to keep ahead of second bottom Thanda who face Platinum Stars at the Mpumalanga Stadium.
Celtic have 30 points — one better than TRZ.
Maritzburg, who look almost home and dry on 34 points, host difficult opponents in Free State Stars at the Woodburn Stadium. All matches kick off at 7.30pm. — Sapa