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Maritzburg United now have to wait for the official final day of the season to learn their fate in the DStv Premiership, with coach Fadlu Davids admitting a point on Tuesday night might not be enough to save their status.
The Team of Choice could only manage a 1-1 draw away to champions Mamelodi Sundowns after the Premier Soccer League (PSL) took a decision to have their game scheduled four days before their rivals.
Should Chippa United and Marumo Gallants (both on 29 points, separated by goal difference) fail to win on Saturday, then Maritzburg (30) will survive relegation.
"Everybody speaks about 30 points, we've achieved the 30 points, but I'm not sure if it is enough. But if there is a possibility that we go to [relagation/promition] play-offs we will take the play-offs on although it's the 14th of June. Again you thinking about the next season, it's not that we're going to step into the playoffs and win the playoffs, but with all our lessons, with all the coaching, with all the step-by-step how we're developing our players. This will stand us in good stead, if we have to take the playoffs, we take it with our chest out", he said.
Chippa will host Golden Arrows, while Gallants travel to Swallows FC in their own battle for survival – as things stand, it’s the Chilli Boys that face the automatic drop and Bahlabane Ba Ntwa the play-offs. Davids reflected on what has been a challenging season.
"When you come into the club you realise the situation you're in. From the outside, you see certain things, and you make your plan for once you get into the club. Unfortunately, it's not the moment now for me to about what was wrong, what is wrong over the last four years and why we find ourselves in [this situation] that will be in my technical report at the end of the season because we still have games to go... maybe."
The coach insists they made great strides when he took over during the FIFA World Cup break, but it wasn’t enough.
"We were the lowest scoring team, and we were the highest concerning team. We've changed both those statistics. We got to 19 points in this period, maybe it's not enough, but there's a lot that has to be done to be able to fix Maritzburg United because we should be a top-eight team, we should be a team, with our supporters, what we have at Harry Gwala, is what a lot of teams envy."
