Gordon Igesund’s People’s Team need one more win to clinch the league title
Ntuthuko Maphumulo
Barring an upset of enormous proportions, Santos will be crowned Premier Soccer League champions this season, taking over from Orlando Pirates and giving coach Gordon Igesund his third title in the six years of the league’s existence.
Jomo Cosmos have a mathematical chance of snatching the title if they win all their six remaining games and Santos falter in their last two games.
The 2-1 win by Santos against Amazulu on Tuesday had implications for the top and the bottom of the league. It put the Cape-based “People’s Team” on 64 points, just one win away from their first crown, while it took Amazulu ever closer to the first division.
Cosmos kept their faint hopes of winning the league alive when they beat Black Leopards 2-1 on Wednesday. Cosmos now face the challenge of second-placed Supersport United on Saturday at the Caledonian stadium in a game they must win. Supersport United have made a remarkable comeback after missing relegation by a whisker last season, and will not be pushovers.
Victory for Santos or a Cosmos loss would hand Igesund’s side the title.
The league crown is not the only thing still up for grabs at this late stage of the season. Teams in the top half of the table are still scrambling for places in the lucrative BPTop 8 at the beginning of next season.
Free State Stars, 13th in the league, were to face Sundowns on Wednesday but the game was postponed due to floodlight problems.
Three-time champions Sundowns currently without a coach as Ted Dumitri has gone AWOL have had a torrid season and will be hoping to start afresh next time with the Top 8. They have given Dumitru 48 hours to attend an internal disciplinary hearing.
On Friday Greek gods Hellenic face Ria Stars with each team prepared to give it their all. The Cape side will be hoping to keep their chances of staying in the elite league alive, while Ria Stars, in ninth position, are looking to cement a Top 8 berth.
Santos not only have the league title within their grasp, but carry the hopes of keeping the Mandela Cup in the country. Defending champions Kaizer Chiefs were kicked out of the competiton, also known as the African Cup of Cup Winners, by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) after failing to honour a second-leg fixture in Madagascar. Chiefs have appealed.
This weekend Santos take on Asante Kotoko at Green Point stadium in their second-round first leg match. Asante Kotoko have won the Ghanaian league many times and have played in many continental competitions, but have not been successful in recent years.
Orlando Pirates are in the champions’ league, a title they won in 1995, after they beat ASEC Mimosa of Cte d’Ivoire in the final.
They take on TP Mazembe of Congo Lumbumbashe in their first group match in the second round of the competition.