Four teams are still in the hunt for the premier league title
Ntuthuko Maphumulo
A week ago Sundowns seemed set to claim the Premier Soccer League (PSL) trophy
for the fourth time in a row and top it with the Bob Save Super Bowl on June 9
at Soccer City when they face Santos.
But a setback for the Brazilians, beaten 1-0 by Kaizer Chiefs at Loftus under
tight security on Monday night, has thrown the league race wide open again.
The match was a great display of African football that had the crowd of 35 000 _ more than watched Bafana Bafana_s crucial World Cup qualifier against Zimbabwe
at the weekend _ on the edge of their seats.
The fans got their money_s worth in an electrifying game that saw both teams
trying their best to secure the three points. Sundowns goalkeeper Paul Evans had
pulled out all the stops to prevent Chiefs from scoring until he let in an own
goal in the final minute of the game.
Chiefs_ win means any of the four top teams can clinch the PSL title. The team
that wins all its remaining games is likely to win the league. Sundowns_ slip
has given Orlando Pirates, Kaizer Chiefs and Jomo Cosmos a chance to win the
title for the first time. Since its inception in the 1996/97 season the title
has only been won by Manning Rangers (in the inaugural season), who now face
relegation, and Sundowns.
Orlando Pirates_ draw against Cosmos last week cost them top spot on the log and
resulted in a group of angry supporters going to their training ground to threaten coach Gordon Igesund and goalkeeper Grant Johnson.
The title race and relegation dogfight are really starting to hot up with only a few games remaining to be played. Current log leaders Sundowns have two games
left _ against relegation-threatened Bloemfontein Celtic and Pirates.
Pirates have four games remaining and Igesund will be hoping to win these matches in order to save himself from further unruly behaviour from alleged fans. The Bucanneers face Sundowns, Ajax Cape Town and the two other Soweto giants _ Moroka Swallows, who ousted them in the Bob Save quarterfinals, and
Chiefs, in a replay of the Ellis Park match that was abandoned after 43 people
died in a stampede.
Third-placed Cosmos have two games to play, one against the early season pace-
setters Santos and the other against Ajax Cape Town. Chiefs are fourth and must
beat Free State Stars, Golden Arrows, Wits University, Manning Rangers and Pirates if they hope to lift the cup at the end of the league season.
At the other end of the table, yo-yo team African Wanderers have already been
relegated and it is now among Bloemfontein Celtic, Manning Rangers and Hellenic
to determine the second team to be relegated. But Bloemfontein Celtic seem unlikely to go down if they win their disciplinary hearing (scheduled for Thursday, too late for publication) by the PSL which has left Hellenic and Manning Rangers angry.
Celtic face Sundowns and Tembisa Classic in their final two games. These two
teams and the disciplinary hearing will determine whether they get relegated.
The Greek Gods Hellenic will be hoping to avoid the axe by winning their last
three games against Free State Stars, Manning Rangers and Jomo Cosmos, while
Manning Rangers have to face Bush Bucks as well as Hellenic and Chiefs.
The two teams that get relegated stand to lose a lot. PSL PRO Andrew Dipela said: _The two clubs that get relegated stand to lose their status, monetary
grants, television exposure and possibly their sponsors._
The MTN first division inland and coastal stream races for promotion are also
heating up with only a few games left. The inland stream is led by Black Leopards with 57 points from 26 games. They have a nine-point lead over Ledwaba
Power Stars, who have played the same number of games, and are 11 points ahead
of Bloemfontein Young Tigers, who have a game in hand. Leopards need five points
from their remaining four games to clinch promotion.
The battle is closer at the top of the coastal stream, where Amazulu _ who were
relegated from the PSL last season _ are leading with 50 points from 24 games
and two games to play.
Park United are two points behind but have a game in hand.