Davids unimpressed with Maritzburg performance in Spurs loss

Maritzburg United’s hopes of making an immediate return to the DStv Premiership took a hard knock when they lost to Cape Town Spurs on Saturday, leaving coach Fadlu Davids livid.

ALSO READ: Ahly hope Tau will torment Wydad in CAF Champions League final

Davids’ team conceded an early goal from a defensive mistake and struggled to get even one shot on target the entire game. 

If anything, it could have been Spurs who scored at least two more especially with the chances they got in the later stages of the game.

“The goal came from our mistake,” said an incensed Davids after the match at Athlone Stadium in Cape Town. 

“The only  good thing is that they only scored one goal. So it’s still in our hands. It is not over yet. We have to win our last two matches – that’s clear and the goal difference will then count.”

Maritzburg will now have to hope that Casric Stars can get their first win in the playoffs when they meet Spurs in Cape Town on Wednesday. 

If Spurs win, they will jump to nine points. And that will mean Maritzburg will have to win against Stars away on Saturday, and Spurs in the last game to stand any chance of bouncing back up.

Maritzburg made it difficult for themselves, concedes Davids

“For us to win our last two matches, we have to focus. We have to let go of this (loss) and have serious conversations again. We like to make things difficult for ourselves.

“How we started the game today in the first 10 minutes was a total disaster. And that’s really what we need to fix now and then focus on the next two matches.”

Davids added that his Maritzburg team didn’t play according to instructions on Saturday, hence the result that has made things really difficult for them.

“We knew the conditions, we knew it was going to be tough. We knew we had to win 50-50 balls and win the duels.

ALSO READ: Coach search in full swing at AmaZulu with Dlamini stepping down

“We knew we had to stop the crosses but we conceded from a cross. (There was) a fumble and then an open goal. You can’t start the way we did and then expect to win, especially in Cape Town.

“But I don’t want us to give up, we’re going to fight. We are going to get the three points against Casric and then we get the three points in the last and we will survive.”