We lose to Bay, we are gone - Middendorp

Cape Town Spurs coach Ernst Middendorp is convinced that losing to Richards Bay on Friday would all but end their hopes of escaping automatic relegation.

Spurs host Bay at Athlone Stadium (7.30pm). These two sides are separated by eight points in position 16 and 15 respectively. Mathematically, Spurs' fate won't be sealed by losing to Bay but Middendorp has emphasised that being defeated by Natal Rich Boyz would mean game over for them, urging his players to guard against the lapse of concentration on the match day.

"Everything depends on Friday evening. If we don’t win on Friday evening and then you can close the book, that’s the reality. We have to win this game... we have to get three points.

"If we play a draw it's not good enough. We have to win the game, it is as simple as that. How we do it, it doesn't matter... 1-0 or whatever it doesn't matter,'' Middendorp stated.

"The most important thing is not to switch off to make it happen. We need high focus, high commitment in each and every second of that game. At the professional level you can't switch off as we've seen it again and again in our games."

Meanwhile, "Mazinyo", as the Spurs coach is known in football circles, didn't hide that Safa head of referees Abdul Ebrahim irked him by saying PSL coaches who complain about refereeing should present facts and stop scapegoating referees.

"I am a little bit irritated by the head of referees, what is his name? He [Ebrahim] said everything is fine and he wants facts from me or from us coaches,'' Middendorp, who's one of a few coaches to lambast the standard of officiating in the league, said.

Spurs' last five games

Friday: v Bay (home)

Tuesday: v Polokwane (home)

May 10: v SuperSport (away)

May 18: v Arrows (away)

May 25: v Chiefs (home)

Bay's last five games

Friday: v Spurs (away)

Tuesday: v AmaZulu (home)

May 11: v Pirates (away)

May 18: v CPT City (away)

May 25: v Stellenbosch (away)