Latest news with #PSLPromotionalPlayoffs
IOL News
26-06-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
From consistency to collapse: Cape Town City's slide into the lower division
Cape Town City's Jaedin Rhodes can't hide his emotions after the club was relegated from the Betway Premiership this past week. Photo: BackpagePix Image: Backpagepix Cape Town City's first significant collapse in over a decade has come at a heavy cost, as they are now headed for life in the NFD Motsepe Foundation Championship next season after failing to navigate the PSL Promotional Playoffs with a 1-0 loss against Orbit College on Wednesday. The Cape outfit lost what turned into a must-win clash, following Orbit's crucial 1-0 triumph over Casric Stars in their penultimate outing — a result that placed the North West side firmly in command of the mini-league. Despite their determined efforts to keep their Premiership status alive, City never looked like a team that had truly recovered from a troubled 2024/25 campaign. And once Letsie Koapeng slotted in a decisive second-half strike, it sealed their relegation fate and brought an abrupt close to a proud era for a club long known for its reliability and top-flight consistency. 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 ✕ It's a bitter pill to swallow for a team that hadn't missed a Top 8 finish since the 2014/15 season and had regularly pushed into the Top 5. But after navigating years of relative stability, their first truly turbulent season has left them staring at a long road back to the top. Head coach Diego Peral lamented his side's missed opportunities throughout a challenging campaign, as they bowed out with a defeat that confirmed their drop with one match to play against Casric on Saturday. 'We had chances and we didn't score, so this is what happens,' Peral said, in the aftermath. 'It's not the first time this season. It is what it is. What can we do? The chances were there, we had many opportunities to win the game, to take the lead, but we didn't. 'For Saturday's match, we needed that goal — and we just didn't get it. 'It's a horrible situation to be in. We've been here since the start of the season. We had so many chances to fix it, and we didn't. You look at the guys who've been here since day one, and it's sad. 'It is what it is. We have to pick ourselves up and start again.' City's downfall had been building from the outset of the season, as they uncharacteristically stumbled out of the blocks and never truly recovered from their sluggish start — a stark contrast to last season's fifth-place finish.
IOL News
25-06-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Cape Town City relegated as Orbit College complete fairy-tale rise to Premiership
Letsie Koapeng (left) runs to celebrate with Orbit College coach Pogiso Makhoye after scoring against Cape Town City on Wednesday. Photo: BackpagePix Image: BackpagePix Orbit College have made history and booked their place in next season's Betway Premiership after defying the odds to defeat Cape Town City 1-0 in a tense PSL Promotional Playoff clash at Olympia Park Stadium in Rustenburg on Wednesday. The triumph took the North West-based team to an unreachable tally of eight points from four fixtures, leaving both City and Casric Stars with only one game remaining, set for Saturday. City entered the clash with two matches still to be played, but were fully aware that anything short of a result would leave them in danger, especially after Orbit had seized control of the group with a dramatic late win over Casric the previous weekend. This was Orbits maiden appearance in the PSL Promotional Playoffs—a historic moment for the club. They had narrowly missed out on automatic promotion earlier in the season finishing second after Durban City, but they arrived in Rustenburg determined to make their mark. The opening half reflected the weight of the occasion. With easily the most vibrant crowd of the entire mini tournament behind them, the atmosphere around the home side was electric, urging every attack forward with passionate energy. Orbit began brighter between the two teams, dictating early possession and pushing into the final third, but despite finding space in wide areas, they couldn't convert their half-chances into anything substantial and failed to register a clear goal-scoring opportunity before the interval. City came out of the break looking sharper. Jaedin Rhodes stood out with a moment of brilliance, twisting away from his marker and playing a delightful ball through to Prins Tjiueza, who found himself one-on-one with Orbit's goalkeeper Sekhoane Moerane—only to be denied by the shot-stopper's bravery and sharp reflexes. They would soon be made to pay though,as from that resulting play, Moerane's goal kick found Gomolemo Khoto who despite having plenty to do caught City napping with his pinpoint cross locating Letsie Koapeng who's expert finish in the 48th minute not only to send the packed Olympia Park crowd into a frenzy but hit City into reality as their Premiership status slipped through their grasp. With the pressure mounting, City were left chasing the game and desperately needing a response. Coach Diego Peral reacted swiftly to going behind, ringing in substitutions to inject fresh legs and urgency into their play. Their intentions were unmistakable: to go for the equalizer while Orbit tightened up defensively. However, the breakthrough never came. The Cape side's attacking play lacked imagination and cutting edge, a flaw that had plagued them throughout the mini tournament and their Premiership campaign. That continued inability to unlock defences ultimately sealed their fate, and with this defeat, they will now prepare to compete in the lower division next season.
IOL News
08-06-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Cape Town City under pressure ahead of high-stakes promotional playoffs
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 Cape Town City head into the PSL Promotional Playoffs facing one of the most challenging moments in their recent history. After a disappointing season, the Cape side now stands on the verge of losing their Betway Premiership status, unless they can produce a strong showing in the upcoming playoffs, their drop to the NFD Motsepe Foundation Championship (MFC) could mark a major step backwards after ten consistent seasons in the top flight. Having failed to secure a top-eight finish for the first time in the last decade, City now have just four matches to rescue their Premiership position. If they fall short during this decisive phase, it would undo years of stability and success where they had become a fixture in the top half of the table. The playoff action gets underway on Wednesday, with Orbit College hosting Casric Stars at Olympia Park Stadium in Rustenburg (15:00 kick-off). 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 ✕ Ad loading City will be in a position to scout their opponents, as they are scheduled to play their opening match later—at home against Orbit College at Cape Town scheduling gives them the slight advantage of watching the other two contenders in action before joining the fray themselves. On paper, the Citizens enter the playoffs as favourites as their squad possesses greater depth, more top-flight experience, and superior quality compared to the College side and Stars, who have spent their seasons competing in the second tier. But that theoretical advantage counts for little if they fail to mentally reset and perform when it matters. Their poor run of form over the past season is what brought them into this precarious position and with everything on the line there is little choice but to deliver. Their opening opponents, however, are full of belief and hunger. The Rustenburg based outfit are making their debut in the promotional playoffs after a strong MFC campaign in which they finished second. They are relishing the chance to test themselves at a higher level and view this opportunity as a valuable learning experience—but are also embracing the idea of causing an upset. 'Cape Town City knows what is at stake, so we will just go there and enjoy ourselves,' said Orbit coach Pogiso Makhoye. 'If we win, it's fine, and if we don't, we will have gained experience.' 'It's our first time in the promotional playoffs. We're here to learn, but if we can win it, it will be a bonus for us,' Makhoye continued. 'We wanted to be here and that motivated us. Everything has changed because it's our first time playing at this level.' 🚨 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐌𝐄𝐃: 𝐔𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐏𝐒𝐋 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲-𝐨𝐟𝐟 𝐟𝐢𝐱𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 🚨 — Official PSL (@OfficialPSL) June 5, 2025
