Black Leopards will be in for a big surprise if they take Milano United for granted when they meet in their second-round promotional play-off match at the Athlone Stadium in Cape Town next Wednesday, 28 May.

Speaking after their game against Black Leopards at the Giyani Stadium on Sunday, the coach of Milano United, Mr Theo Hempe, said that they still stood a chance of gaining promotion to the Absa Premiership Division, despite the fact that they are still to win a match in the promotional play-offs. Milano shared the spoils with Polokwane City when they played to a goalless draw at the Athlone Stadium in Cape Town last Wednesday and lost 1-2 to Black Leopards at the Giyani Stadium on Sunday.

Hempe said that their remaining two fixtures would be war from the onset and that his charges were ready to pay whatever price  was necessary to get the maximum points, even if it meant to die on the field of play. He further stated that they were going to fight it until it was mathematically impossible for them to gain promotion.

United’s next fixture will be against Polokwane City at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane on Sunday. Their last hurdle will be Black Leopards at the Athlone Stadium in Cape Town next Wednesday evening.

Should Milano fail to win against Polokwane City on Sunday, the match against Black Leopards next week will be of mere academic interest, as it will be impossible for them to gain promotion.

When asked about their defeat against Black Leopards at Giyani Stadium last Sunday, Hempe could only say that “we lost to the better side”. Leopards’ head coach, Mr Kostadin Papic, said that they would fly to Cape Town with one thing in mind, viz. to collect the maximum points at the expense of Milano United. Leopards’ top striker, David Zulu, will not be part of the team when they play Milano as he is still nursing a groin injury.

Leopards’ Malawian defender, Harry Nyirenda, will be available for selection. He was out of action for three matches after seeing red in their game against FC Cape Town four weeks ago.