Bucks look to fan-base for crucial final push

The influence of the Mthatha Bucks’ 12th-man will be vital when the Mthatha outfit play what will be their most important match yet when they face-off with Highlands Park in an NFD encounter at the Mthatha Stadium on Sunday.

This was said by the club’s COO Lunga Tukute who promised that with the match being their final home game of the season, Bucks would play their hearts out for their supporters and ensure that maximum points are in the bag.

Indeed Bucks, 13th in the log- standings, will need all three points as their NFD survival rests on this particular match as they are currently four points from the bottom with two matches to go.

The Mthatha side have this season distinguished themselves as the best supported club at home in the NFD this season with capacity crowd attendance in all matches thus far.

All this they did patiently and consistently in the face of ridicule throughout the season as their club struggled to take off after being promoted to the NFD.

But it is this Sunday that their support will count the most with their club’s NFD status at stake.

“Indeed our 12th-man will be paramount this time around,” said Tukute.

“Not only because of our situation but also that it is the final home game in which we would be fitting for us as a club to leave our loyal supporters with good lasting memories – that being a win.”

Tukute said they were not surprised by the support and impressive crowd attendance in their home matches this season.

This because, he went on, people of the OR Tambo district are traditionally soccer-loving people.

Their rallying behind Bucks reflected their hunger for a professional football club in Mthatha as the last was Bush Bucks, which used to play in the top-flight.

This is why Mthatha Bucks cannot afford relegation but survival so as to push for promotion to the top tier in the season after next season which would be the greatest reward to their loyal support base.