Win or lose, Sea Point Swifts’ (Hope FC) season should certainly not be defined by what happens in their final game against FN Rangers (19:30) at the Erica Park Sport Complex on Tuesday evening.
For the mere fact that no one could have imagined that Swifts would take the league by storm after they acquired the Second Division status of Knysna-based Oriented Birds in August.
So, in retrospect, this debutant has done more than enough to convince friend and foe they are here to stay and to further ruffle feathers… Just as they have shown thus far in their first season in the ABC Motsepe League campaign.
Even this newbie’s nomadic existence this season couldn’t deter them from stamping their authority against seasoned campaigners which is very impressive.
Needless to say, a lot rests on this fixture as a win would guarantee them the stream. One can rest assured that coach Dylan Deane and his troops will be driven by success and not rest on their laurels as they know all too well that second placed Hanover Park FC is waiting for them to slip up – which they rarely did so far this season.
Meanwhile, the latter will require nothing less than a win against Cape Town Spurs in their last fixture of the season to keep the pressure on Swifts but this will be easier said than done. Should ‘HP’ beat Spurs, and Swifts draw against Rangers, then Swifts will still secure the stream due to their superior goal difference over Hanover Park FC.
From a neutral perspective this is exciting stuff and great value to see the league going down to the wire with teams winning matches on the football field – not in board or courtrooms as in previous seasons.
One also hopes that the match officials for tonight’s fixture bring their A-game and allow football to be the winner – not sideshows.
The reality is that the stream (A) is Swifts’ to lose and this is comforting for Deane and his troops as their destiny is in their own hands which should count for something.
Should Swifts manage to win the stream, they will face off with the winner of stream B, Diadora FC, in the WC final to be played at the William Herbert Sport Complex on Sunday.
