Cape Town City will need to dig deep in their final two fixtures to secure their place in the Premiership for next season.
Their hopes of claiming a first win in the Premier Soccer League promotion/relegation playoffs were cruelly dashed in the dying minutes of their clash against Casric Stars at the Solomon Mahlangu Stadium in Mpumalanga on Wednesday.
Now, heading into the last two matches of the mini-league, City find themselves in a pressure-filled situation where at least one victory is vital to maintain their top-flight status.
The Citizens took the lead in the first half through a goal from Prins Tjiueza, but after Casric Stars fought back, Sphamandla Mlilo calmly converted from the penalty spot to earn the hosts a share of the spoils.
City assistant coach Roger de Sa reflected on his team’s missed chances, and also took encouragement from the draw, viewing it as a steady step forward in a playoff campaign where momentum and home advantage could prove decisive.
“As expected, it’s playoffs time, and everyone is playing for everything,” De Sa said after the match.
“We just have to calm down. We got a good point away from home and they have to come to us, so we are still in it. I saw the log – we are on top, and hopefully we can push through.
“I thought we started badly – the first 10 to 15 minutes were very poor.
“But once we got into it, on a bumpy pitch, we created some good chances and we got the goal. We could have possibly gone 2-0 up, but we didn’t put our chance away.
“It was what we expected – route-one long balls for the last 20 minutes – and unfortunately a penalty. But I think a point away from home was not bad, even though we could have got more.”
City’s 2024/25 campaign has been a tough one, with form and consistency eluding them.
However, they are now four matches unbeaten, including their final two league games.
Even though they have shown signs of improvement, they still remain in a precarious position with two difficult matches ahead.
The prolonged playoffs have not only denied the Cape side early time off to reflect on the season, but they could potentially have little time to rest before the start of the next season.
And despite the late equaliser denying them victory, De Sa remained optimistic and still believes that his team is still well positioned in the race.
“The playoffs are unpredictable, but they also run long and spill into the next season,” De Sa continued.
“Most playoffs are usually unpredictable.
“I think it’s two teams that are coming off a high, and a team from the Premiership that is coming off a low.
“We have to get over it and put ourselves in a position to stay up, but right now, we are there.
“It’s just two games for us – and let’s see how it goes.”
