Edgar Manaka of Marumo Gallants FC challenges Thabang Nhlapo of Orbit College FC during the Betway Premiership as the two sides embark on a fight for survival.
Image: BackpagePix
Orbit College are enduring the wrath of top-flight football as they are stuck at the foot of the Betway Premiership standings with 19 points, just two ahead of the basement dwellers Magesi, who have a slight advantage of a game in hand.
Orbit are suffering the fate of most rookies in the top-flight. But instead of allowing themselves to freely drown in the relegation quagmire and surrender their top-flight status at the first attempt, they must fight in the last six games and let other results take care of themselves.
That fight has to start against Golden Arrows at Olympia Park Stadium in Rustenburg on Saturday afternoon (3pm kick-off).
Granted, it will be a struggle for the Mswenko Boyz to get the much-needed win, given the fact that they are winless in their last four games. However, they cannot allow that to deter them – they must dig deep and show the same fighting spirit shown in the goalless draw with Marumo Gallants last Saturday.
Orbit have their own flaws, but on a good day they are able to cause upsets and put up a good fight, which is exactly what they’ll need to do going forward.
Crunch time separates pretenders from challengers, with the desperation resulting in teams making mistakes and losing focus. That’s why the best team on the night usually comes away with the result due to focus and attitude.
Arrows haven’t been at their best in a while due to being porous and over-reliance on Junior Dion for goals. But they finally ended their winless streak in the last game, beating neighbours Durban City 1-0 in their last league game. It was an ideal result for Abafana Bes’thende, especially after coach Manqoba Mngqithi lamented their lack of focus in the 5-0 thrashing by Orlando Pirates away from home, denting their chances of finishing in the Top 8.
Now occupying the coveted eighth spot, Mngqithi will encourage his charges to keep the momentum and get results in the last six games. After all, his illustrious spell with Mamelodi Sundowns would have taught him that the only way they can win games is to shut things at the back and be lethal up front.
With Dion scoring goals frequently, Mngqithi believes he has a gem of a defender, Ayanda Jiyane, at his disposal, comparing him to PSL legend, Siyabonga Sangweni, who initially made a name for himself at the club before moving to Pirates where he won multiple silverware, including the league.
But for all their newly found form, Arrows will know that they’ll underestimate Orbit at their own peril. This time of the season is crucial for all teams as points go a long way in the championship race, Top 3 or Top aspirations, or survival.