All Stars look to bow out with Swallows win

Cape Town All Stars will be looking to end their Premier Soccer League (PSL) promotional/relegation playoff campaign with a win over Swallows FC at Danie Craven Stadium on Saturday.

Igugu Lekapa's ambitions of gaining promotion to the PSL from the GladAfrica Championship faded away following the team's 1-1 draw with the Univesity of Pretoria away on Wednesday.

The draw saw All Stars remain third on the playoffs standings - three points behind second-placed Swallows and four points behind leaders, University of Pretoria.

Allan Freese, All Stars head coach, has pointed out his side will be targeting nothing but a victory when they take on the Soweto giants.

"We are approaching this game the same way we have been approaching the other games, we want to win it," Freese told SuperSport.com.

"So, we will prepare accordingly for the last game. It doesn't mean we must drop our guard. We have to out there and play and maybe win the game. That is what we have in mind.

"We haven't done well in the last two games, but we drew on Wednesday which wasn't a bad thing, but as for the last game we want to give our best and win the match."

Meanwhile, Swallows remain undefeated in the playoffs having held the University of Pretoria to a 0-0 draw away in their last game in the competition on June 4.

Therefore, Amaswaiswai are currently placed second on the playoffs standings and a win over All Stars will take them to the top of the table - two points clear of leaders, AmaTuks with one game left.

Swallows will then face the University of Pretoria in their final game on June 15 with the winner of the match earning themselves a spot in the PSL for the ?2022-23? season.

Dylan Kerr, the Swallows head coach, was left rue his side's missed chances following their draw with AmaTuks and he will be hoping that Amaswaiswai convert their chances against All Stars.

“It is all about standards… It is a trend here, it is a trend that we see a lot of missed chances from a lot of clubs – easy chances," Kerr said.

“And I think the players don’t have the right mental attitude to take in training what they need to do to take in games. We keep doing it.

"We keep trying to get them to concentrate and be responsible for the finished product.”

Cape Town Al Stars: PLAYERS TO WATCH

Ndiviwe Mdabuka: The goalscoring midfielder netted his 13th goal of the season as All Stars drew with AmaTuks in midweek. Mdabuka will be looking to add to his tally and help his side secure a win over Swallows.

Eleazar Rodgers:The towering centre forward has been used mainly as an impact player coming off the bench by Igugu Lekapa this season and he will pose a threat to the Swallows' defence with aerial prowess.

Swallows FC: PLAYERS TO WATCH

Dillon Solomons: The 25-year-old wing-back provided his third assist of the season when Swallows defeated All Stars 2-1 on June 6 and he will be looking to use his blistering speed to create problems for the All Stars defence.

Joseph Mhlongo: The former Black Leopards striker was the hero for Amaswaiswai as the Soweto giants claimed a win over Al Stars - scoring in stoppage time. Mhlongo will be keen to inspire his side to another win.

HEAD-TO-HEAD stats

This will be the fourth meeting between Swallows and All Stars across all competitions.

Having met three times across all competitions, the two teams have recorded one each, while one game ended in a draw.