After securing an unexpected 2-0 victory over Black Leopards in their Motsepe Foundation Championship League match at Thohoyandou Stadium last Saturday, Venda Football Club (VFC), affectionately known as Maunavhathu, face another tough challenge this Sunday. They will travel to Durban to face Milford FC at the Princess Magogo Stadium.
While a win for Milford would boost their chances for promotion, the game is a must-win for the Thohoyandou side. Milford are currently fourth on the log with 25 points, six behind the leaders, Durban City.
Although Milford started the season strongly, their performance has slipped significantly over their last five games. Their most recent victory was a 2-1 win over Upington City at the Princess Magogo Stadium on Sunday, 10 November. Milford are coming from a 1-1 draw with the University of Pretoria at the Absa Tuks Stadium in Pretoria last Sunday. A win this weekend could propel Milford to second place on the log if other results go their way.
Beating Milford will not be an easy task for VFC, considering they have only won three of their 15 matches so far this season.
Stanford Nkoane, head coach of VFC, remains confident. He stated that Milford would need to double their efforts if they were serious about defeating his team. He added that the atmosphere in the VFC camp was positive, following their 2-0 win last Saturday.
Breaking VFC's defensive wall, marshalled by Bongolwethu Siyasi, Kazeen Dangelo, and Zebulon Mtsweni, will be a difficult task for Milford's strikers. Should VFC pull off a surprise victory, Maunavhathu will climb up the log standings, edging away from the relegation zone.