Pitso Dladla and Durban City are on the verge of a dream double as they look to secure a Top 8 spot and prepare for next week’s Nedbank Cup final in Polokwane. Photo: Backpagepix
Image: Backpagepix
While finishing in the Betway Premiership Top 8 on their first season out the gate would be an accomplishment, winning the Nedbank Cup on debut would be even sweeter for Durban City.
Lifting the premier South African Cup competition would surely be a good starting point for any team's trophy cabinet. The Citizens' road to that final next weekend in Polokwane was laid down with a stubborn defence, seized opportunities, and some good old-fashioned luck.
Much of that has seemingly abandoned the club in recent weeks, as City have been in a slump lately, coming off three straight losses in the league with worrying performances for coach Pitso Dladla. Granted, it has been too short a period to judge his success as head coach — but since Gavin Hunt left the team earlier this season, Dladla has steered the side to a cup final, while maintaining their competitiveness within the Top 8.
Dladla assisted at Richards Bay and Uthongathi, and was present when Durban City earned promotion into the elite division. However, it could be of benefit to have someone with more experience in the PSL. Erik Tinkler recently departed Sekhukhune United and could be a good fit for the team, although Durban City remain mum on that speculation.
"The club is not commenting on that at the moment," Thalente Cele, media officer for the club, said recently. "We have the Nedbank Cup final coming up and our game on Friday. That is where our focus is."
Durban City are coming off a heavy 5-2 defeat against Magesi last weekend and they will need a positive result against Orbit College in Durban (kick-off 7.30pm), not only to shore up confidence ahead of next weekend's cup final, but also to regain lost ground in the Top 8 battle — with Polokwane City, Golden Arrows, Stellenbosch and Richards Bay creeping up on them in that regard.
The Mswenko Boys travelling to Chatsworth Stadium, where the Citizens have built a solid laager during this campaign, should help the latter's cause in their efforts to secure three points. College, for their part, are a dog without a leash right now and cannot be trusted as they are fighting relegation, as was the case with Magesi, too.
Orbit are last in the league with five games to go and will want to make life as uncomfortable as possible for Durban City — who need to take control of the match from early on.
With TS Galaxy in no man's land in terms of the league — they are 12th in the standings at the moment — building momentum at Durban City ahead of next week's cup championship clash will be crucial.
Elsewhere, on Friday night, Arrows will look to consolidate their position in the Top 8 when they host Siwelele at King Goodwill Zwelithini Stadium (kick-off 7.30pm).
They are currently eighth in the league standings on 34 points, one point behind sixth-placed Durban City. They can ill afford any slip-ups themselves, as defeat could see them drop out of the lucrative top half of the standings.