CAPE AT WAR

CAPE Town City’s hele future is hanging on the edge of a cliff heading into their final Premiership game of the season against high-flying neighbours Stellenbosch FC at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday (3pm kickoff).

It was only two seasons ago that City finished runners-up to champions Mamelodi Sundowns in the league and were heading into Africa to compete in the Caf Champions League for the first time.

Those heady days are now a distant memory, as City are effectively heel laaste, with only the insolvent Royal AM below them on the standings, with a defeat to Stellies condemning the Citizens to the lottery of the PSL relegation/promotion playoffs.

Even a win could still see City contest the playoffs should SuperSport United, who are level on 26 points but with a superior goal difference, beat Richards Bay and Golden Arrows emerge victorious against former City coach Eric Tinkler’s Sekhukhune United.

The stakes in the Kaapse derby are therefore so much more than just bragging rights this time around, with the City’s top-flight status on the line.

Meanwhile, Stellenbosch are in dreamland after finishing runners-up in the MTN8 and enjoying a maiden Caf Confederation Cup run all the way to the semi-finals.

Steve Barker’s manne need to claim all three points if they are to be ensured of Confederation Cup participation next season, with Sekhukhune just a point behind in fourth place.

Barker says: “Obviously, I think they’re [City] fighting for their lives and therefore it doesn’t make the game at all any easier.

“In fact, I believe it makes it difficult because obviously they’ll be fighting for survival.”