Andrew Muchineripi SOCCER
Last year it was the top end of the Castle Premiership standings that kept us on the edge of our seats as Sundowns and Kaizer Chiefs took their battle for the title down to the wire.
Sundowns defeated now-defunct Cape Town Spurs 2-0 at a freezing Odi Stadium to snatch first place on goal difference from the Amakhosi, whose 5-1 thrashing of Dynamos meant nought in the end.
This year a rather different climax has developed, with Sundowns seemingly set on winning the championship a record third consecutive time, while Orlando Pirates and Chiefs contest second spot.
If the top end of the table is more or less settled, the bottom is certainly not, with six clubs locked in a desperate struggle to avoid joining long-doomed Mother City in the MTN First Division.
Moroka Swallows, Free State Stars, African Wanderers, SuperSport United, Bush Bucks and AmaZulu are in trouble, with the last-named club still favoured to make the dreaded drop.
Bloemfontein Celtic were assured of survival after whipping Mother City 6-0 at the Free State Stadium on Wednesday afternoon, while Wanderers remained in the quagmire by losing 2-0 away to Sundowns a few hours later.
Swallows, Wanderers and Ama-Zulu appear in gravest danger while Stars can guarantee their survival with a win over out-of-sorts Hellenic at Greenpoint Stadium on Saturday.
SuperSport need to beat Mother City in Pretoria next Saturday to be safe, and four points from home fixtures against Stars and Wits will guarantee Bucks a place among the elite for the 2000-2001 season.
That leaves the Beautiful Birds, Abaqulusi and the Usuthu fighting to avoid relegation and the huge financial losses that go with surrendering Premiership status.
Swallows finish with a home fixture against Sundowns, AmaZulu complete their 34-match programme away to Ajax Cape Town and Wanderers visit Durban neighbours Rangers.
According to a recently revised Premiership fixture list, AmaZulu play on May 21, Wanderers on May 26 and Swallows on May 31. Is this fair? I certainly do not think so.
If AmaZulu win, Wanderers would know what is required of them, and if Wanderers draw or lose, Swallows would know what is required of them against a Sundowns side that may already have clinched the title.
I know Premier Soccer League (PSL)
officials are not going to like me for this – but since when did the views of officials concern this proud member of the Muchineripi clan when justice is at stake?
What needs to be done is for the final matches of relegation-threatened clubs to be staged on the same day and at the same time in order to eliminate any suspicion of match-fixing.
That was the case last season when Sundowns and Chiefs entered the final round level on points – and what is good for Goliath is surely also good for David. The PSL dare not do it any other way if fairness is the criterion. While once-mighty AmaZulu have been in or near the relegation zone for many months, seemingly comfortably placed Swallows and Wanderers slipped into the danger area at the worst possible time.
Should either team go down, it will curse Pollen Ndlanya, the AmaZulu striker whose 92nd-minute goal earned a 1-0 victory over Classic at Makhulong Stadium in Tembisa last Sunday. It was a salutary lesson for those eager to dismiss Ndlanya as an expensive misfit since he joined the Durban club on a short-term contract at a price that was never disclosed.
Judged by that display, AmaZulu hardly deserve to survive as they struggled to tame 10 men after Arthur Zwane was sent off on the stroke of halftime for elbowing an opponent in retaliation.
I must say that the level of commitment from the Usuthu was disappointing and, given the number of times the ball was crossed into the heart of the penalty area, the finishing of Ndlanya and company left much to be desired.
Still, all that counts at the wrong end of the table is results and if AmaZulu escape relegation, every rand spent on Ndlanya will seem cheap to a club with lofty ambitions.
PSL clubs are assured of at least R200 000 a month while those who perform in the first division receive little more than R5 000. When considering the dangers of relegation, look no further than Vaal Professionals.
Labelled the Vaal Monsters, they won the 1994 Bob Save Super Bowl and were virtually invincible at home. Last season they were relegated from the Premiership and this month they went down again – to the second division.