DURBAN – Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila drew themselves closer to achieving their mandate of avoiding relegation after playing out to a 0-0 stalemate against Baroka FC in the Limpopo derby at the Peter Mokaba Stadium on Tuesday afternoon.
Dylan Kerr’s side who recently won the Nedbank Cup will feel that they should have won the game and could have had it not been for a masterclass performance from Baroka keeper Oscarine Masuluke.
Masuluke made two key saves in the opening 12 minutes of the game to deny powerful efforts from the likes of Thabo Mnyamane and Celimpilo Ngema.
Baroka did have a chance in the 22nd minute as they caught TTM’s Brandon Theron napping at the back but they failed to be decisive in the final third as their attacking passage of play quickly died.
After having been outplayed in the first half, Baroka’s play started to improve in the second half with TTM keeper Washington Arubi having to be more alert in the second half.
TTM came back to life towards the latter stages of the game as Theron whipped in an eye-catching cross in the 77th minute which team-mate Thembisani Nevhulamba just failed to meet.
A draw is not the worst result for both teams at this stage of the campaign. It leaves Baroka firmly in mid-table whilst TTM are 11th and four points clear of the drop zone.
TTM will next prepare for a game against relegation-threatened Chippa United in two weeks. A win in that game will virtually assure them of top-flight status for next season.
IOL Sport