Sport

Cape Town Spurs braced for ‘Cup final’ against Casric Stars

Herman Gibbs|Published

Cape Town Spurs coach Shaun Bartlett speaks after the promotion play-offs 2022/23 match between Spurs and Maritzburg United at Athlone Stadium in Cape Town on June 3. Picture: Shaun Roy, BackpagePix

CAPE TOWN - There is so much at stake that Cape Town Spurs coach Shaun Bartlett has told his team to treat this afternoon’s match against Casric Stars as a “Cup final”.

The clash against Casric Stars will be Spurs’ penultimate match in the three-team PSL promotion/relegation play-offs (3pm kick-off).

Bartlett said since the start of the play-offs that he regarded every match as a “Cup final”. However, in Tuesday’s pre-match talk, he outlined the importance of the match.

“If we win on Wednesday, we’ll have one foot in the Premiership,” Bartlett said. “That is how big this match is.

“Following our sound start to the play-offs with an away win against Stars and following that up with a home win over Maritzburg United, this team has given a good account of itself.

“Not many people gave us a chance to defeat Maritzburg, but it was just reward for the way we intensified our style of play. Playing against a PSL team allowed us to step up a level.

“We bring loads of energy into our games, and that has placed us in a good position.

“We will face Casric Stars high on confidence, but we won’t lose focus.

“I told the players that every time they step onto the field, they must earn the right to win games. We do not underestimate opponents, and do not expect to get results by merely pitching up on the day.

“We beat them on their home patch last time, but that doesn’t mean anything. It’s a different game and under different conditions.

“Nobody’s going to give us anything; everything that we’ve got rewarded for this season has been through hard work.”

After two wins under their belt, Spurs’ fate will be decided over the next two games.

After the Casric Stars encounter, Spurs will be away to Maritzburg at the Harry Gwala Stadium in Pietermaritzburg in an evening clash (7.30pm kick-off) – the only time Spurs will play under floodlights in the play-offs.

The Spurs squad is injury-free, although they will be without the sensational Boitumelo Radiopane, the forward on loan from Orlando Pirates, who will be on the sidelines for four months while recovering from surgery.

He has been the livewire for Spurs and has scored seven goals in nine starts.

Nevertheless, Bartlett feels that the Spurs players who will take to the field will give a good account of themselves.

“We will try to send out the strongest combination, and the objective will to play ever better than we did in the first two games,” said the former Bafana stalwart, who during his playing days was a star striker for clubs in South Africa, the United States, Switzerland and England.

“The players will run out with one desire – to win the match with a performance that will be even better than our previous matches.

“We all have a desire to be the next Premiership team in the Mother City.”

Bartlett said the team were enjoying huge support in Cape Town, and he is expecting their “12th man” to be in full cry at Athlone Stadium on Wednesday.

“Throughout the play-offs, the support from the fans has been great. It has put us in a great frame of mind and prepared us well for Casric Stars,” he said.