Barker is desperate for all three points to keep hopes of avoiding automatic relegation alive and will arrive at the familiar Tuks Stadium on Wednesday evening aware that anything less than a win could mean he has failed to save Usuthu.
To avoid the sad reality of being chopped off from the PSL straight away, AmaZulu must just win both their two remaining games and hope that Moroka Swallows don’t take more than three points from their two games, while also hoping that Chippa United don’t take more than a point from the two games they still have to play.
While Troughton has previously worked as head coach with Barker his assistant at Tuks before they swapped roles, that relationship will count for nothing tomorrow night.
“Why should we look at another club’s situation?” asks Troughton, who was elevated back to being a joint-head coach with Sly Mosala when Barker left the club last November for a better-paying job at Usuthu.
“We also need the points on the board to make sure we are really safe from falling into a play-off spot. We are also desperate for the points because looking up we still have a small chance of finishing in the top eight. We will not be showing anyone any mercy,” Troughton tells snl24.com/kickoff.
Tuks are on 32 points and need to go past 33 points – the tally that second-from-bottom Swallows can possibly reach if they win their two games – to be definite of their safety while they can still possibly finish as high as seventh if several results swing in their favour.
Barker would probably be happy to trade his monthly package for three points in the capital city, three points that will push Usuthu to 27 points and keep them alive going into the last day of the season on Saturday.
