As some amateur sports activities resume this weekend after a month of suspension due to Covid-19, the big question among amateur footballers is which team will win the Stream B of Safa Cape Town’s Third Division.
As things stand it’s a tight affair.
Only one point separates leaders Hanover Park (at 31) from second-placed Silver Spurs (at 30), with just one round of fixtures to play. Trinitarians who are third, are also on 30 points after 15 matches. With Matroosfontein having already won Stream A, it will be interesting to see who among the three will face them in the play-offs on 14 August 2021 to determine the overall winner of the 2020/21 season of the Third Division in Cape Town.
On paper, Hanover Park have the toughest fixture of them all as they travel to Parow on Saturday to face fourth-placed Vasco Da Gama, who are also good enough to spoil the party. Trinitarians, who are newcomers to the 3rd Div, will welcome second-from-bottom Jameston at Uitsig Sports Ground, while Spurs will take on Junction Rovers in Rygate LFA derby at the Hickory Road Astro Turf.
(Here’s the full list of fixtures, if you’re interested.)
So…what do the experts say?
Ricardo Daniels, whose Cape Town Pirates side played against some of these teams before earning promotion to the ABC Motsepe League in 2019, believes the last round of matches will be tricky, particularly since they are coming after a month since football was suspended.
“With the transfer deadline extended to 31 August, some teams may have used the opportunity to strengthen themselves by signing top players from the ABC Motsepe League,” he says.
Daniels believes that Trinitarians are a dark horse in the race and have a lot of fighting spirit. But they have a tough game against Jamestown and that game can end in a draw. Silver Spurs should have the easiest of the three contenders.
“They’re facing a side from the same Local Football Association and the same community in Junction Rovers, a team which on paper has nothing to lose,” he says. “But although Hanover Park has a tough game ahead, they should emerge victorious and seal their spot in the play-offs.”
His sentiments were echoed by Thulani Njili, chairman of former Third Division side Young Rebels, who says Hanover Park seems to still have the more experienced squad “and I don’t think they can fumble in the last game”. But while Trinitarians is a new team, they seem to have quality and proper structure, he notes – and they have a chance to surprise many people. As for Spurs, Njili observes that they have always started the league well but are unable to maintain that form throughout the season.
Former Zizwe United goalkeeper coach Phiri Cawe says: “From the history of all the three teams, I want to go for Trinitarians but my gut feelings tell me that Hanover Park will go through. I think the team’s management is hungry for professional soccer after their stint in the Premier Soccer League back then. And the people of Hanover Park would love to see this team going up a bit to the semi-pro league. I might be wrong but I will go for the Brasse vannie Kaap.”
Les Mondo, who runs Third Division side Riverside Rangers, also believes that Hanover Park should wrap it up on Saturday. “Most money should be on Hanover Park – they’ve got the experience of coming out tops when it matters most. They’ve been to playoffs, they’ve won most of the big trophies in both Cape Town Tygerberg LFA and Safa Cape Town, and when they’ve slipped up they’ve always managed to come back tops again. They must be favourites.”
Mondo says Silver Spurs must also be in with a chance because they have the firepower in the top goal scorers in the league and, just like last year, they’ve been near or at the top and have also the experience of having played in some real big games over the past few seasons. “But then they are playing a derby against Junction Rovers who might just want to have the bragging rights of having stopped them in their tracks.”
According to Mondo, Trinitarians as the newcomers to the league must have surprised themselves to be in the position they’re in. “They have a number of very experienced guys and everything depends on whether they don’t allow the pressure of what’s at stake to get to them. At this stage, though, it looks like Hanover Park must be the favourites.”
Win or lose, though, it’s bound to be an epic weekend – for players and fans alike.
So…who will it be? Place your bets (figuratively speaking, we mean) and stay tuned…
