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IOL News
5 hours 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
5 days ago
- Sport
- IOL News
Chasing dreams: Joseph Manyedi steps up on journey to Comrades Marathon podium
Joseph Manyedi, seen in action at the Two Oceans Marathon, is upbeat about his chances in the 2025 Comrades Marathon. Image: Supplied Maxed Elite Running Club star Joseph Manyedi will be chasing the dream in this year's Comrades Marathon down run on Sunday, hoping to take the giant step onto the podium after finishing fourth in last year's race. The Rustenburg-based road running ace fancies his chances after last year's personal best time of 5:28:33 saw him finish behind race winner Piet Wiersma of the Netherlands (5:25:00), Dan Moselakwe (5:25:45) and Degefa Yohannese Lafebo of Ethiopia (5:27:48). It was his fourth consecutive gold medal in eight races so far, and his best finish in The Ultimate Human Race. The four-time gold medallist, who has been a runner for more than 20 years, joined the Mr Price Sport-backed Maxed Elite Running Club from the Nedbank Running Club earlier this year. 'I feel strong and focused. Training has gone well, and mentally I'm in a good space. I'm excited to give it everything on race day,' Manyedi told Independent Media Sport exclusively. 'Preparations have been intense but structured. We've focused on both volume and quality to peak at the right time. Joseph Mayedi will be hoping to give his Maxed Elite Running Club a rare podium finish at the 2025 Comrades Marathon. Image: Supplied 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 ✕ 'Endurance has been a major focus this year, especially for the down run. But I've also worked hard on sharpening my speed in the final months leading up to the race. 'For the down run, I do more quad-strengthening workouts, long downhill sessions, and pacing control. The up run is more about hill strength and maintaining rhythm.' Manyedi gives a lot of credit to current coach Peter Gaebetse, whom he feels brings 'elite-level structure and experience to my programme'. 'His training has pushed me to a new level, and being guided by someone who understands Comrades inside out has made a huge difference.' The veteran runner showed his humility when asked how confident he is of winning the race, or where he expects the biggest challenge to come from. 'I'm confident in my preparation and experience. I know the course well and believe in my ability to execute a strong race plan. With God's grace, anything is possible,' he said. 'The field is always stacked with top talent and a few rising stars. But I focus more on my own race than my competitors.'
