This is after they defeated their number one archrival, Mpheni Home Defenders, 1-0 in the final minutes of their league encounter on Saturday at Malamulele Stadium. This follows a string of poor performances that saw Emanuel drop from first to second place in recent weeks. With Mpheni FC dominating the league as a result of its aggressive gameplay, Emanuel supporters had given up on ever catching up to them, let alone winning the league.

However, over the past few weeks, it appeared that everything was going well for them as they gradually regained their footing in the ABC Motsepe Stream-A League, dispelling fears that they were out of the game. The Saturday victory over Mpheni has brought Emanuel FC’s dream of winning the league much closer to reality. Emanuel took the lead just a few minutes before the referee blew the whistle to end the match after a goalless play in the first half.

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Although both teams seemed to be desperately putting up their best performances during the game, Emanuel under pressure seemed not to want a repeat defeat at the hands of Mpheni Home Defenders. This comes after their last encounter resulted in Mpheni winning the match. This time, however, Emanuel had to ensure that they won at all costs to avoid the embarrassment of losing twice at home.

A loss for Emanuel on Saturday could have widened the gap between them and Mpheni by nine points. Before the match on Saturday, Mpheni had 27 points from 13 games, while Emanuel had 21 points from 12 games. With one game in hand, Emanuel presently trails the Mpheni Home Defenders by three points. It has 24 points against the 27 points of the Mpheni Home Defenders. If Emanuel wins its next game, it will level the scores in the ABC Motsepe Stream-A League and make both Mpheni and Emanuel equal on points.