Relegation threatened Platinum Stars may be staring down the barrel of a loaded gun but beleaguered coach Roger de Sa is refusing to throw in the towel yet.
Stars remain at the foot of the PSL promotion-relegation play-offs table after they were held to a goalless draw by Jomo Cosmos on Wednesday and defeat to Black Leopards at Moruleng Stadium in Rustenburg on Saturday night could see De Sa's charges relegated to the National First Division (NFD).
“We have a great opportunity to get back into it this weekend‚” said a defiant De Sa.
“If we get the three points against Leopards this weekend‚ I think it will be pretty even and it will go down to the last game.
"Hopefully we can put a good performance and turn the result.
"We always knew that we needed seven points in the play-offs because that is the amount that takes you through.
"We have got a point now and we have two games to go‚ and we have to win both.
"There’s no other calculation‚ there is no other way to do it.
"Hopefully we can get a good result and a good performance on Saturday and take us through to Cosmos on the last game.
"All we can do is give it a go and win to stay in it.”
Asked to reflect on their costly draw against Cosmos on Wednesday‚ De Sa said it was disappointing and their fate is no longer in their hands.
“I am disappointed that we didn’t take control of the first half and score when we got the chances‚" De Sa said.
"First half we were a lot better‚ we created opportunities‚ got into the box and we should have scored.
"We had three good chances which we missed.
"In the second half‚ we became a little more scrappy.
"Cosmos sat back a bit deeper and played on a counter.
"We lost our way and started playing high balls and hoped for the best.
"That’s not how we play. We wanted to penetrate and get behind them a bit more‚” he said.
On the other hand‚ Ludoda Duvha hit the road to the North West with the knowledge that three points against Stars could bring them closer to a return to the PSL.
A win could increase Leopards' tally at the top of the pile to seven points with one match to go.
Defiant Roger de Sa refuses to give up in the face of relegation
Relegation threatened Platinum Stars may be staring down the barrel of a loaded gun but beleaguered coach Roger de Sa is refusing to throw in the towel yet.
Stars remain at the foot of the PSL promotion-relegation play-offs table after they were held to a goalless draw by Jomo Cosmos on Wednesday and defeat to Black Leopards at Moruleng Stadium in Rustenburg on Saturday night could see De Sa's charges relegated to the National First Division (NFD).
“We have a great opportunity to get back into it this weekend‚” said a defiant De Sa.
“If we get the three points against Leopards this weekend‚ I think it will be pretty even and it will go down to the last game.
"Hopefully we can put a good performance and turn the result.
"We always knew that we needed seven points in the play-offs because that is the amount that takes you through.
"We have got a point now and we have two games to go‚ and we have to win both.
"There’s no other calculation‚ there is no other way to do it.
"Hopefully we can get a good result and a good performance on Saturday and take us through to Cosmos on the last game.
"All we can do is give it a go and win to stay in it.”
Asked to reflect on their costly draw against Cosmos on Wednesday‚ De Sa said it was disappointing and their fate is no longer in their hands.
“I am disappointed that we didn’t take control of the first half and score when we got the chances‚" De Sa said.
"First half we were a lot better‚ we created opportunities‚ got into the box and we should have scored.
"We had three good chances which we missed.
"In the second half‚ we became a little more scrappy.
"Cosmos sat back a bit deeper and played on a counter.
"We lost our way and started playing high balls and hoped for the best.
"That’s not how we play. We wanted to penetrate and get behind them a bit more‚” he said.
On the other hand‚ Ludoda Duvha hit the road to the North West with the knowledge that three points against Stars could bring them closer to a return to the PSL.
A win could increase Leopards' tally at the top of the pile to seven points with one match to go.