D-Day looms for PSL strugglers

RELEGATION from the topflight can prove to have dire consequences for South African football clubs, and as many as five teams face that potential danger.

Tomorrow marks the final day of the season and with Wits already crowned as champions, a large part of the interest will fall on the teams scrapping it out at the foot of the standings, while the top eight race is another fascinating battle to watch unfold.

As the table stands, Baroka are in 16th and last place with 25 points and in danger of automatic demotion, while Highlands Park are 15th, with 26 points.

The team finishing 15th after Saturday’s action will enter into a three-way promotion-relegation play-off with Black Leopards and Stellenbosch FC, the National First Division (NFD) clubs which finished second and third. Thanda Royal Zulu have already earned promotion as champions.

The good news for Highlands Park is that they have three clubs all within touching distance.

Free State Stars are 14th (27 points), Chippa United are 13th, also with 27 points, and Bloemfontein Celtic in 12th position are on 28 points and not out of danger yet.

The likelihood of Highlands beating Mamelodi Sundowns a few weeks or months ago would have been rather slim.

Desperate

But with a fatigue- and injury-hit Brazilians side having conceded their domestic title to Wits last week and now focusing on their CAF Champions League campaign, a desperate Lions of the North outfit could just claim a shock victory at home in Tembisa.

Celtic play Maritzburg United away at the Harry Gwala Stadium where a draw will be enough to ensure their place in the top flight this season.

Lose, and Phunya Sele Sele could find themselves dropping to 15th, depending on the other results.

Free State Stars and Chippa United meanwhile lock horns at Goble Park, where a draw would guarantee Chippa safety, as a better goal difference (-5) will keep them above Ea Lla Koto (-11) and in all likelihood, Baroka as well, who have an negative goal difference of 18.

A draw for Stars though could see them dropping to 15th, provided Highlands Park beat Sundowns.

From Baroka’s perspective, they must beat Ajax Cape Town away in the Mother City. That would see them up to 28 points.

They must also hope that Highlands fail to beat Sundowns (so that they remain on 26, or 27 points).

And, the Limpopo team will not want the Stars-Chippa game to end in a draw, which would take those two clubs up to 28 points – with a significantly inferior goal difference (negative 18), Bakgaga must get more points on the board than their rivals.

Dropping down to the National First Division results in clubs receiving less than a third of the amount of the monthly grant they got from the PSL while participating in the Absa Premiership.

And it also means they are forced to abide by the rule of starting each game with five players under the age of 23; a whole new ball game in effect.

Meanwhile, Maritzburg United, Ajax Cape Town, Golden Arrows and Platinum Stars will fight it out for the two remaining top eight berths.

Orlando Pirates, in 11th place, play Arrows in Durban, and have the most outside of chances as well, but their case is hampered by a weak goal difference (10).

In seventh spot, Maritzburg have 37 points, followed by Ajax (36), Arrows (35), Platinum Stars (34) and Pirates (33). Again, there are a host of different possible outcomes depending on other results.