Bartlett left in tears as Spurs beat Casric to be on the verge of promotion

Cape Town Spurs have one foot in the DStv Premiership. 

Ten-man Spurs, who agonisingly missed out on automatic promotion back to the top flight on goal difference to Motsepe Foundation Championship winners Polokwane City, beat Casric Stars 1-0 in their promotion playoff clash at Athlone Stadium on Wednesday. 

Spurs coach Shaun Bartlett was overcome with emotion and in tears after his team's hard-fought victory in wet and slippery conditions. His team had to recover from a 65th-minute red card (Ashley Cupido) seven minutes before Morne Nel struck the wining goal (72nd).

Spurs are on the verge of returning to the paid ranks for the first time since they were relegated as Ajax Cape Town in 2018. 

Former Bafana Bafana striker Bartlett's team have won three matches in the playoffs, and they need only a point from their remaining match against Maritzburg United next Wednesday to clinch promotion. 

But they might even secure a return to the Premiership earlier, if Maritzburg fail to win their now huge-pressure matchup against Casric at Solomon Mahlangu Stadium in KwaMhlanga, Mpumalanga, on Saturday. Such a result would condemn the Team of Choice to the first division for the first time since the 2006-07 season, 13 years ago.

Spurs played for most of the second half a man down after influential attacker Cupido was sent for an early shower by referee Michael Mosemeng for charging at Casric defender Elias Rammala. 

In that incident, Mosemeng issued a yellow card to Rammala, leaving Bartlett fuming as Spurs' promotion dream seemed to be slipping from their grasp. But the Cape side rallied and soon scored the all-important winner when attacker Morne Nel picked a spot to beat Casric goalkeeper Ludwe Mpakumpaku with a skidding shot from outside the box. 

Bartlett started the must-win match with vastly experienced campaigners such as Nazeer Ali, Clayton Daniels, Nel, Cupido, Therlo Moosa, Jarrod Moroole and Michael Morton in his line-up. 

Casric counterpart Joseph Mthombeni went with his tried and tested performers, including Mpakumpaku, Nthabeleng Tshoba, Zebulon Mtshweni and Kgomotso Mosadi. 

The Mpumalanga side almost equalised in the 83rd minute, but alert Spurs goalkeeper Lincoln Vyver dived the right way to parry away Rammala’s close-range left-footed shot.

Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.