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IOL News
a day ago
- Sport
- IOL News
Five key players who could rescue Cape Town City's Premiership status
Cape Town City and Stellenbosch FC The stakes in the derby between Cape Town City and Stellenbosch never have been higher than it will be on Saturday. Photo: BackpagePix Image: BackpagePix Once riding high in the Premiership, Cape Town City now find themselves navigating unfamiliar waters. The rhythm that led them to an impressive fifth-place finish in the 2023/24 season has faltered, replaced by uncertainty and a battle for survival. Now, in a make-or-break scenario, they must overcome two determined NFD Motsepe Foundation Championship (MFC) sides—Casric Stars and Orbit College—to secure their place in the Betway Premiership. This is uncharted territory for the Citizens, a club that has consistently finished within the top eight since the 2014/15 season, when they ended the campaign in 10th place. One of their finest moments came in the 2021/22 season, when they proudly claimed second place behind Mamelodi Sundowns. However, their fortunes have since taken a troubling turn. A run of poor results, compounded by a series of coaching changes—including the exits of Eric Tinkler and Muhsin Ertugral—has left the team in a vulnerable position. With their top-flight status hanging by a thread, a decisive performance in the upcoming playoffs is essential. Here, Obakeng Meletse looks at five key players who could prove crucial in Cape Town City's fight for survival. Darren Keet Darren Keet of Bidvest Wits collects the high ball during the 2016 MTN 8 semi-final second leg football match between Cape Town City FC and Bidvest Wits at Cape Town Stadium. Photo: Chris Ricco Darren Keet of Bidvest Wits collects the high ball during the 2016 MTN 8 semi-final second leg football match between Cape Town City FC and Bidvest Wits at Cape Town Stadium. Photo: Chris Ricco Image: Chris Ricco The 35-year-old is experienced both locally and internationally, and with his side now facing a situation this current crop of players hasn't truly encountered before, his leadership in marshalling the defense and guiding the team to make as few mistakes as possible will be crucial in overcoming the challenge posed by both Motsepe Foundation Championship sides. The Citizens conceded 31 goals this past season, and many of their difficulties stemmed from an inability to keep clean sheets. The experienced campaigner will need to ensure that, in the upcoming matches, the team concedes as few goals as possible — a factor that could ultimately make the difference. Thulani Serero Former Bafana Bafana and Ajax Amsterdam midfielder Thulani Serero has returned to the Mother City after a decade playing abroad. Image: Cape Town City Formerly with Ajax Cape Town before moving to the parent club Ajax Amsterdam, the now 35-year-old is a seasoned campaigner who is well-traveled and well-poised to handle the pressure that comes with being in a do-or-die situation. Serero has yet to make the kind of impact he would have hoped for since returning to South African football, but the upcoming play-offs present a perfect opportunity for him to remind everyone why he is regarded as one of the finest midfielders this country has ever produced. Jaedin Rhodes Vuyo Letlapa of Sekhukhune United is challenged by Jaedin Rhodes of Cape Town City during their Betway Premiership enncounter at Cape Town Stadium on Sunday. Photo: BackpagePix Image: Backjpagepix The talented 22-year-old midfielder played a key role in helping the Cape Town side find much-needed momentum in the closing stages of the season. His creativity could be exactly what the club needs to overcome the unfamiliar hurdle they currently face. Darwin Gonzalez Darwin Gonzalez Cape Town City striker Darwin Gonzalez will pose a danger against Richards Bay. Photo: PHANDO JIKELO Independent Media Image: PHANDO JIKELO Independent Media González was one of the standout performers this season, with his eye for goal proving pivotal despite the team struggling for consistent results throughout the campaign. With four goals scored this season, including two strikes against Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates, González could hold the key to unlocking another season for his side in the top flight. Haashim Domingo Haashim Domingo Cape Town City's Haashim Domingo battles away against Stellenbosch FC in the local derby at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday. Photo: BackpagePix Image: BackpagePix
IOL News
a day ago
- Sport
- IOL News
Cape Town City complete the trio of PSL hopefuls with Orbit College and Casric Star in the way
BATTLE: Fortune Makaringe and Jaedin Rhodes may be down, but are far from out BATTLE: Fortune Makaringe and Jaedin Rhodes may be down, but are far from out as Cape Town City look ahead to the play-offs. BackpagePix Image: Backpagepix A place in next season's Betway Premiership will be up for grabs when the Premier Soccer League (PSL) promotional play-offs get underway next Wednesday. Orbit College will host Casric Stars in the opening clash at Olympia Stadium in Rustenburg (kick-off 3pm). The Rustenburg-based side finished second on the NFD Motsepe Foundation Championship table, just five points behind league winners Durban City, who secured automatic promotion after a stellar campaign. The college side's impressive run earned them a spot in the mini-league playoffs, which will see three teams battle it out for one remaining berth in South Africa's top-flight league. Completing the trio of hopefuls is Cape Town City, who finished second-last in the Betway Premiership and will now be fighting to retain their elite status. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ The format will be straightforward: each team plays the other home and away, and the team that accumulates the most points over the six fixtures will be crowned promotional play-off champions and earn a place in the Premiership for the 2025/26 season. This marks Orbit College's maiden appearance in the promotion play-offs, a testament to the club's significant progress over the past year. From a ninth-place finish in the previous season, the team climbed into the top three, thanks to consistent performances and key tactical shifts under head coach Pogiso Makhoye. After weeks of uncertainty caused by an investigation into City's alleged use of an ineligible player, the confirmation of play-off dates has brought relief and focus for Makhoye and his charges. 'We were waiting for the date, and it has been confirmed, so we are ready to go,' Makhoye told Independent Newspapers. The coach is especially eager to see his side take on Casric Stars, a team that has had the upper hand in their recent matchups, but Makhoye is confident that past results will matter little in a high-pressure playoff scenario. 🚨 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐌𝐄𝐃: 𝐔𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐏𝐒𝐋 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲-𝐨𝐟𝐟 𝐟𝐢𝐱𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 🚨 — Official PSL (@OfficialPSL) June 5, 2025 'In our preparations, we are putting everything into the first game, and we will only start thinking about the second match once we get what we want from the first one,' he said. 'It's a different game now. The playoffs are not the same as the regular league season. 'We've improved our preparations, we've identified our weaknesses, and we are going to take our chances. Maybe it's time to break that hoodoo. It would be great to do that in the playoffs.' Makhoye also addressed the looming challenge of facing a PSL side in Cape Town City. Although the Citizens come with top-tier experience, the coach believes that his side's presence in the playoffs proves they are no pushovers. 'We're not here by mistake,' he said. 'I think we deserve to be where we are. If we say we're ready for the PSL, we need to test ourselves against teams like Cape Town City.'
IOL News
29-05-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
SuperSport United survive the chop following dramatic Premiership finale against Golden Arrows
SuperSport United endured a nerve-wracking 45 minutes to secure their place in the top-flight next season, playing to a 1-1 draw in the resumption of their Premiership fixture against Golden Arrows at Lucas Moripe Stadium on Thursday afternoon. The draw came at a crucial time, allowing Matsatsantsa a Pitori on 27 points to leapfrog Cape Town City on the same amount of points into 14th position, pushing the Cape side down to 15th due to a better goal difference. City will now wait to learn the outcome of an investigation in the NFD Motsepe Foundation Championship regarding Durban City's alleged use of an ineligible player to determine who they will face in the promotion play-offs. Abafana Bes'thende still had a mathematical chance of reaching the top eight, but it would have required scoring six goals in one half – a highly unlikely outcome, given their season average of less than a goal per game. The responsibility to guide Matsatsantsa to safety fell to interim coach Andre Arendse, who took over to complete the job left unfinished by then-head coach Gavin Hunt.
IOL News
14-05-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Durban City on the brink of promotion as relegation battle heats up
Farook Kadodia, chairman of Durban City, could soon enjoy the emotions of his club being promoted to the Betway Premiership. Photo: BackpagePix Image: BackpagePix Durban City's persistence throughout the 2024/25 NFD Motsepe Foundation Championship season is on the verge of paying off, with promotion to the Betway Premiership now firmly within their grasp — unless a dramatic twist unfolds on the final day. Orbit College are the only team still mathematically capable of overtaking the KwaZulu-Natal side, but they face a daunting task in their final match against already relegated Leruma United. To leapfrog City, Orbit would need to score at least six goals. City have been impressive across the campaign, losing just six of their 29 matches and boasting the league's highest goal tally (43), giving them a comfortable cushion heading into what promises to be a tense final round. With Orbit having already secured a play-off spot after all four teams beneath them dropped points over the weekend, the spotlight could soon shift to the scrap for survival at the foot of the table. Leruma United have officially been relegated, but the real drama lies ahead as the relegation picture becomes clearer in the closing round. 12th I Hungry Lions P29 W8 D9 L12 GD1 Pts33 Remaining fixture: Casric Stars Both sides will be coming off draws when they clash in the final round of the season, and the same result could be enough for Lions to avoid any final-day disappointment. Their goal difference, however, gives them the edge over their competitors. 13th I Upington City P29 W7 D11 L11 GD-3 Pts32 Remaining fixture: Highbury FC Before their 2-0 victory over the University of Pretoria, Upington City had endured a rough stretch, managing just one win in their last ten outings — a 2-1 victory over Pretoria Callies back in February. Despite the slump, the Northern Cape side still has a chance to end their season on a stronger note and add to their seven wins. Their final fixture against Highbury FC will be a must-win clash if they aim to keep their fate in their hands. 14th I Venda FC P29 W7 D9 L13 GD-4 Pts30 Remaining fixture: Kruger United Teetering in 14th place only by virtue of goal difference, Venda FC face a daunting end to their Motsepe Foundation Championship campaign, with their final fixture against fifth-placed Kruger United. The Limpopo-based club has managed just one win in their last five outings — a slump that now dangerously flirts with relegation. With the margin for error narrowing, they'll need to find form fast against a United side that will want to finish their season on a high after missing out on the promotion playoff battle. 15th I Cape Town Spurs P29 W6 D12 L11 GD-5 Pts30 Remaining fixture: Durban City The Cape side is facing two consecutive relegations in two seasons following their relegation in the Premier Soccer League last season. Currently 15th on the log, Spurs have to navigate a tricky final fixture against a Hungry Lions side they beat 2-1 in the first leg in what could be a winner-takes-all affair. They will rue their missed opportunity to gain some points after their 1-1 draw with Hungry Lions last weekend as they get ready to face high-flying Durban City in their final fixture.
