Maritzburg await Santos in final league encounter


5 March 2010

The Peoples’ Team will meet with the Team of Choice at the Harry Gwala Stadium in Pietermaritzburg on Saturday afternoon for their final Absa Premiership game of the season.

Boebie Solomons' men will be hoping to finish off what has been a highly successful league campaign with maximum points against the KZN side.

It will be tough though for Santos away from home – Maritzburg have a fervent home supporter base and Ernst Middendorp’s men have won their last two home games – against Golden Arrows and Orlando Pirates.

The Maritzburg side has a strong Cape Town flavour to it, Cape-born players such as Fadlu Davids, Kurt Lentjies, Mario Booysen, Peter Petersen and Shu-aib Walters are all key players for United.

The two clubs have come face to face in the league on seven times – Santos have won four matches to Maritzburg’s two victories.

The first round fixture ended in a 4-0 route for Santos, with Ryan Chapman and Phikolethu Spelman botrh netting braces.

That however was a very different Maritzburg side, who were still coached by Gordon Igesund – under Middendorp they have been a team on the up.

Maritzburg are currently 10 th on the league table with 35 points. Santos are fourth with 44 points. They are unable to catch third placed Chiefs, but need a win to ensure they are not overtaken by Pirates.

Santos will be without the suspended Bongi Macala for this game.