Arendse wants error-free SuperSport in crunch final half

One half of football and no mistakes  – that is SuperSport United head coach Andre Arendse’s message ahead of the resumption of his side’s crucial Betway Premiership clash with Golden Arrows today. 

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SuperSport go into the game needing a point to avoid finishing the campaign in the relegation play-offs. 

SuperSport’s controversial waiting time

The game was originally abandoned in February with the scores tied at 1-1 at half time, after a power failure at the Lucas Moire Stadium in Atteridgeville. 

After a controversially-long wait of about three months, it was decided that the game will resume where it left off.

“There are a couple of elements that we’ve got to think about going into that game. We’re going to only one half. We go into it with one point already, which is more or less what we need, for example,” Arendse told SABC Sport. 

“We have to go into the game with that mindset but at the same time, we cannot afford to be on the back foot. So, we cannot afford to close up shop because then we are going to invite unnecessary pressure and when you do that, you are prone to mistakes.

“We cannot afford one single mistake in that half of football that’s to come.”

SuperSport are helped by the fact that Golden Arrows sealed their survival in the Premiership with a 3-2 win over Sekhukhune United last weekend. 

Arrows’ MTN8 longshot

Barring an absolute thrashing of SuperSport, Arrows have no chance of sneaking into next season’s MTN8. 

Arrows can get to 33 points with a win, the same points as Chippa United in 8th. But their goal difference is -12 to Chippa’s -6. That means Arrows would have to beat SuperSport 7-1, scoring six times in 45 minutes, to leapfrog Chippa in the table. 

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As such Mnqqithi’s side have little to play for, leaving the onus on SuperSport to get a result and put Cape Town City in. the play-offs instead of them.