United almost there

JOHANNESBURG – SuperSport United coach Gavin Hunt will have two words of advice for his players when they face BidVest Wits in their penultimate Absa Premiership match at the Super Stadium on Wednesday – ‘stay calm.’

Two points from their remaining two matches will enable SuperSport to clinch the Premiership for a third successive season, but three points on Wednesday would be the cherry on top of three outstanding seasons for Hunt and his players.Hunt is determined to scoop three points against struggling Wits in their penultimate fixture and lift the trophy in front of his home fans. He has been through this scenario during the past two seasons where SuperSport let things slip and had to wait until the final day of the season to lift the championship.But Hunt stressed that despite the Students sitting dangerously close to the relegation/promotion playoffs zone, he would be taking nothing for granted.SuperSport go into their penultimate fixture with only championship rivals Mamelodi Sundowns, four points behind them, needing United to lose both remaining matches and winning their two games to pip their Pretoria city rivals for the title.Hunt is still minus star striker Glen Salmon, who is sidelined with a long term injury but in goal scoring midfielders Jabu Maluleke, Daine Klate and Brent Carelse, United have back up.That, despite the fact his Liberian striker, Anthony Laffor, has failed to fire this season having scored only seven goals. Laffor has been on the bench for the last three matches and is expected to start on the bench against Wits.Wits coach Roger de Sa has promised to make a fight of the match but should United score an early goal, the Students will fold.Big spending Downs and their big mouth coach Hristo Stoitchkov, have slipped by drawing their last two matches and have all but conceded the title is heading back to United for a third season.Stoitchkov, the former Bulgarian national coach and Barcelona striker, has won no friends in South Africa with his arrogant behaviour. But Downs should collect three more point when they face bottom side Jomo Cosmos at the Rand Stadium on Wednesday (19h30).Defeat for Cosmos would officially see them relegated to the National First Division after gaining promotion at the end of last season.Second bottom Mpumalanga Aces, who have 25 points, four more that Cosmos, face Kaizer Chiefs at Loftus (19.30) and defeat for Aces would condemn them to the relegation/promotion playoffs. – Nampa-Sapa