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Kruger United topples Highbury in tight Motsepe Foundation Championship clash

Kruger United is just one win away from reaching 10 games unbeaten in a row.

Extending their unbeaten run to nine games, Kruger United took down Highbury in a tight Motsepe Foundation Championship clash at KaNyamazane Stadium on Sunday, January 12.

The match kicked off at 15:30, and both sides were eager for a win, but with varying ambitions. Kruger United are still in the hunt for a potential promotion spot, and a win would have placed them in good stead to continue this pursuit. Highbury, meanwhile, would have hoped to further distance themselves from the relegation zone, as they were only nine points clear of 15th place.

It was a hotly contested match from the onset, as either side seemed in with a chance of grabbing the win. After a goalless first half, the scoreline was 0-0 at half-time, leaving all to play for in the second period.

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It took 17 minutes in the second half for the deadlock to be broken by Kruger United’s Thabo Nkwana, who handed his side a valuable 1-0 lead.

In spite of chances for either side in the final third of the game, nobody else could manage to find the back of the net. This meant the score remained at 1-0 in Kruger United’s favour, ensuring they stayed in fifth spot on the log and kept a promotion spot in their sights at the halfway point of the season.

In pursuit of one of the two promotion spots available in the Motsepe Foundation Championship to earn a place in next season’s Betway Premiership, Kruger United have been in a rich vein of form of late. They suffered a tough start to the season, being far too close to the relegation zone themselves. But, courtesy of a seriously determined mindset, they’ve been able to flip the script and have now gone nine matches unbeaten.

Their last loss came in October at the hands of Venda Football Academy. Since then they have won six of the nine games they’ve played in all competitions. This run includes a win in the Nedbank Cup in early December, which earned them a spot in the Nedbank Cup round of 32, where they will face off with Stellenbosch.

Kruger United players celebrate a goal. > Photo: Supplied/Kruger United

Kruger United have claimed 18 of the available 24 points in the eight league matches they’ve played since their loss to Venda Football Academy. Their resurgence means they are only four points away from a top-three spot.

The winners of the Motsepe Foundation Championship earn automatic promotion up to the Betway Premiership, while second and third places take part in play-offs to try and win the second promotion spot available.

Their next match will be against Pretoria Callies on Saturday, which is another chance to pick up extremely valuable points.

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