Venda Football Club (VFC) must secure a victory against Leruma United when they meet in their Motsepe Foundation Championship League fixture at the Lucas Moripe Stadium outside Pretoria next Wednesday (23 April) to show their determination to avoid relegation.
VFC and Leruma are in similar positions, both battling for survival at the bottom of the log. The two sides are tied on 24 points, with VFC holding a slight edge because of a better goal difference.
Leruma's spirits are high, following a 2–1 win over fellow relegation contenders Pretoria Callies last Sunday. In contrast, the Thohoyandou side are not in a good space mentally after being held to a goalless draw by Hungry Lions at the Thohoyandou Stadium last Saturday.
VFC assistant coach Luvhengo Mungomeni admitted that the draw with Hungry Lions had left the team in a tough spot. He warned that anything less than a win against Leruma would be damaging — especially if other relegation-threatened teams collected full points.
Mungomeni said the coaching team had been working on the strikers' target shooting to address the club's scoring problems. He added that the team's inability to convert opportunities in last Saturday's clash had been a major source of frustration.
Black Leopards will host Highbury FC at the Thohoyandou Stadium on the same day. Other midweek fixtures include Pretoria Callies vs Cape Town Spurs, Hungry Lions vs Orbit College, JDR Stars vs Kruger United, University of Pretoria vs Casric Stars, Durban City vs Milford FC, and Baroka FC vs Upington City.