The uncertainty of life in the Betway Premiership, caused by the Royal AM saga, has not gone unnoticed in the Motsepe Foundation Championship, with three clubs quietly rising to within six points of Durban City at the summit of the log.
City have remained at the top of the table for so long that it is easy to assume automatic promotion is theirs, with the other three – Casric Stars, Orbit College and Kruger United – seemingly fighting for the two play-off spots.
The reality, however, is quite different, particularly as the Durban-based club have dropped points in their last two outings. They drew 1-1 with Pretoria University, before suffering a 1-0 defeat to mid-table Highbury last weekend.
However, they are not the only ones showing signs of “suddenly thinking too much” about “what happens next”, as all the chasing sides also dropped points in their respective fixtures last weekend. Orbit drew 0-0 with Pretoria University, Casric were held 1-1 by Baroka, while Kruger were thrashed 3-0 by Black Leopards.
Last week, all clubs declined to comment on the possible anxiety stemming from the long-delayed expulsion of Royal AM by the PSL. That is understandable, as they were part of the voting process. Led by PSL chairman Irvin Khoza and acting CEO Mato Madlala last week, those clubs voted unanimously for the expulsion of the Pietermaritzburg-based Royal AM, who last played on December 29.
The reality, however, is that there are still 15 points to play for in the division, and City’s six-point gap at the top means they can secure automatic promotion with four wins.
City’s remaining five fixtures include a KwaZulu-Natal derby against Milford at home on Tuesday at Chatsworth Stadium. That fixture will be followed by clashes against Pretoria Callies, JDR Stars away, Black Leopards and their final league encounter of the season against Cape Town Spurs away in Cape Town on May 18.
City will no doubt be hoping for some advantage from the fact that Orbit and Kruger face each other on 27 April, while Casric have a tough run-in with fixtures against Pretoria University, Leopards, and Cape Town Spurs.
City head coach Simo Dladla will need to show his mettle in the coming five matches, as he must keep his players focused or risk being overtaken after leading the log for most of the dramatic 2024/2025 season.