Latest news with #SiyabulelaMabele
News24
7 hours ago
- Sport
- News24
Orbit College edge closer to PSL topflight dream with dramatic win over Casric Stars
Orbit College FC took a giant leap toward rewriting their own football fairytale, edging Casric Stars FC 1-0 in a dramatic PSL Promotion/Relegation Playoff clash at the Solomon Mahlangu Stadium on Saturday. For 80 minutes, the match mirrored much of what this mini-league has delivered - tense build-up, heavy midfield battles, and very little end product. But then came Siyabulela Mabele. With the match destined to become the fourth consecutive draw in a goal-starved playoff campaign, Mabele's late deflected strike broke the deadlock and sent the Orbit bench charging towards the corner flag in a euphoric release of emotion. One kick. One goal. One seismic step towards the topflight. Until that moment, there was little to cheer about. The first half drifted by with no shots on target and a whopping 40% of the action stuck in midfield. Both sides had moments, but both lacked the guile and sharpness to break through - an all-too-familiar story in these playoffs. The second stanza offered more. Ten minutes after the restart, chaos unfolded. A poor clearance from Casric's Emile Tcheuko fell kindly to Mabele in the box. With only the goalkeeper to beat, it felt inevitable. But instead of finishing with composure, he dawdled and Tcheuko recovered with a desperate but crucial save. Promotion play-off - RESULT: Orbit College secure all three points and go top of the table as they win away against Casric Stars. — Official PSL (@OfficialPSL) June 21, 2025 Moments later, Casric launched a quick counter. The ball found its way into the box, and Ofentse Mothapo, standing unmarked, blazed his first-time effort into the side-netting when the goalmouth begged for calm execution. But Mabele would not leave this match as the villain. With 10 minutes left, he made amends. His speculative long-range effort caught the slightest deflection, completely wrong-footing Tcheuko, and nestling into the back of the net. Orbit were ahead, and the dream was alive. The final minutes were nervy. Casric, known for their late fightbacks - including a last-gasp equaliser against Cape Town City - pushed forward in desperation. But Orbit's defence, led by goalkeeper Sekhoane Moerane, stood firm. From the ABC Motsepe League just two years ago to now, within touching distance of the DStv Premiership, Orbit's rise has been meteoric. One more match could seal it. They host Cape Town City on Wednesday, 25 June (15:00), in what could be an historic afternoon. A win confirms their place in the 2025/26 Premiership. A draw, however, would drag the drama into the final fixture on 30 June when City face Casric (15:00). City, once considered one of the league's most enterprising sides, have stumbled through this playoff campaign in a fashion that mirrors their broader struggles throughout the 2024/25 season. Despite their experience at the top level and a squad with quality in key areas, the Citizens have looked flat and uninspired, drawing both of their playoff fixtures so far, without scoring a single goal. As it stands, Orbit top the table with five points. City and Casric are locked on two each. The promotion race is alive and, fittingly, going right down to the wire.
IOL News
7 hours ago
- Sport
- IOL News
Orbit College take command of playoffs with win over Casric Stars
Siyabulela Mabele of Orbit College celebrates goal with teammates during the PSL 2024/25 Playoff match between Casric Stars and Orbit College at Solomon Mahlangu Stadium in KwaMhlanga. | BackpagePix Image: BackpagePix Orbit College staked a major claim for promotion to the Betway Premiership after taking control of the promotion/relegation playoffs with a 1-0 victory over Casric Stars at the Solomon Mahlangu Stadium on Saturday. The win lifts the Rustenburg-based outfit to the top of the mini-league standings with five points from three matches, with one crucial clash remaining—a final-round encounter against Cape Town City. In a match where they had to absorb sustained pressure for long periods, Pogiso Makhoye and his charges were disciplined and composed in defense, denying the home side any clear sight of goal. Their resilience paid off when they capitalized on their only real opportunity of the game, courtesy of Siyabulela Mabele. 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 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. Next Stay Close ✕ Heading into the encounter, Casric boasted a stronger head-to-head record, having secured three wins and two draws from their previous five meetings with Orbit. As has been the case throughout the mini-tournament, goals remained elusive. Supporters had to wait until the 80th minute for the game's first real moment of attacking quality—a decisive strike from Mabele, whose deflected shot found its way through a congested Casric defense to hand Orbit the lead. Earlier Casric had displayed plenty of attacking intent during a lively first half, but their efforts in the final third lacked composure. Despite dominating possession and pushing forward, their inability to deliver the final pass meant they failed to create any meaningful chances.
TimesLIVE
7 hours ago
- Sport
- TimesLIVE
Orbit College on brink of promotion after vital win over Casric Stars
Siyabulela Mabele placed Orbit College in a huge advantage to be promoted to the Betway Premiership after his strike gave the North West side a 1-0 win over fellow Motsepe Foundation Championship rivals Casric Stars. Mabele earned the crucial three points with a long-range strike that beat Casric goalkeeper Lako Wendeu in the 80th minute in what was a fourth PSL promotion playoff match at the Solomon Mahlangu Stadium in KwaMhlanga yesterday. This was a first win produced in these playoffs after the previous three matches ended in draws, including the only between Casric and PSL side Cape Town City that produced goals to end 1-1 on Wednesday. Both Casric and Orbit drew against City in the first round but another win for Orbit against City in Rustenburg on Wednesday could earn them a ticket to play in SA's elite league next season. Deflection and it's in 😲 📺 Stream on DStv: — SuperSport Football ⚽️ (@SSFootball) June 21, 2025 Orbit will first host City in Rustenburg on Wednesday before Casric travel to Cape Town on Saturday. After three matches, Orbit are on top of the table with five points followed by both City and Castric on two points. If City beat Orbit away from home on Wednesday and do the same to Casric at home on Saturday, they will retain their PSL status. Although yesterday's game opened up in the second half, poor shooting let down both the visitors Orbit and Stars who were playing their last game in front of their fans. Stars striker Decide Chauke came very close to giving his side the lead in the 65th minute but was unlucky to see his striker missing the upright. Not even the introduction of former Orlando Pirates striker Kermit Erasmus after 70 minutes could help Stars as Orbit managed to keep things tight in their defence.
IOL News
11-06-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Orbit College and Casric Stars play to a stalemate in PSL promotion playoff
Simon Moukete of Casric Stars during the PSL 2024/25 Playoff against Orbit College at Olympia Park Stadium in Tshwane. | BackpagePix Image: BackpagePix Orbit College was forced to settle for a goalless draw against Casric Stars in the Premier Soccer League promotional playoff match staged at the Olympia Park Stadium in Rustenburg on Wednesday. The result sees both sides sitting on one point apiece, as the Rustenburg-based team now faces a long trip to the Western Cape, where they will meet PSL side Cape Town City, who are set to begin their bid to defend their top-flight status on home turf. With a valuable place in the Betway Premiership on the line, both teams entered the encounter fully aware of what was at stake, and the cautious opening exchanges clearly demonstrated how vital it was to begin the promotional playoffs on a positive note and build momentum going forward. Playing in familiar surroundings, the home team enjoyed the early psychological edge, attempting to impose themselves on the contest using the comfort of their home ground to their advantage as they looked to control the tempo of the mini-tournament. This early advantage was especially significant given Orbit's recent history against Casric, having failed to register a single win in their last four head-to-head meetings with the Mpumalanga-based visitors. The opening stages of the match were tense, with both teams showing signs of nervous energy, and the tension was clearly visible on both benches. The two coaches remained vocal throughout, shouting instructions from their technical areas, while the home supporters were in full voice, generating an electric atmosphere as the evenly matched contest unfolded in the first half. Looking to exploit their home advantage, Orbit began applying early pressure, with Siyabulela Mabele sparking a promising attacking move, combining nicely with Letsie Koapeng, but his first genuine shot on goal was struck directly at the visiting goalkeeper, Emile Tcheuko, who dealt with it comfortably. The visitors had a response of their own, with Thabang Semache coming closest to breaking the deadlock in the 21st minute when his powerful long-range shot from well outside the penalty area forced Orbit goalkeeper Sekhoane Moerane into a sharp save, palming the ball to safety and keeping the score level.
