Baroka escapes PSL relegation

Baroka Football Club is hard at work in preparation of the Premier Soccer League (PSL) Promotion and Relegation Play-offs set to commence this weekend.
The Ga-Mphahlele based outfit did their fans proud when they beat Ajax Cape Town 1-0 on Saturday, thereby handing themselves a lifeline in the elite league and surviving automatic relegation from the PSL.
Former Super Sport United and Platinum Stars midfielder, Letladi Madubanya scored the winning goal in the second half of the match with a header after receiving a sublime cross from Nkosinathi Ndlovu.
Bakgakga had a dreadful maiden PSL season in which of the 30 matches played they only won five matches, drew 13 and lost 12.
They will now fight for a spot in next season’s PSL against National First Division (NFD) runners up, Black Leopards Football Club and Stellenbosch Football Club, in a four game mini league of the playoffs.
Club Spokesperson, Jimmy Ngobeni said the preparations for the playoffs have been going well and every single member of the team is ready for the task ahead. “We are ready for the playoffs, we are not going anywhere we are in the PSL to stay. We had a bad season which was a lesson for us. We have a second chance of making things better in the league and for us to achieve that we have to win all the matches in the playoffs,” Ngobeni said.
He also mentioned that they respect their opponents because of the amazing run they had in the NFD. “Both teams did well in the division. Leopards is a good team and one of the best in the NFD, we will have to be very careful when we play against them. Stellenbosch are also good, we saw them when they played against Kaizer Chiefs in the Nedbank Cup earlier this year. We have to win every match and retain our status,” Ngobeni said.
Fixtures:
Saturday – Black Leopards Football vs Stellenbosch Football Club – Thohoyandou Stadium kick-off: 15:00
07 June – Baroka Football Club vs Black Leopards Football – Peter Mokaba Stadium; kick-off: 19:30
10 June -Baroka Football Club vs Stellenbosch Football Club – Peter Mokaba Stadium; kick-off: 15:30
14 June – Stellenbosch Football Club vs Black Leopards Football Club- Athlone Stadium; kick-off: 19:30
17 June – Black Leopards Football vs Baroka Football Club- Thohoyandou Stadium; kick-off: 15:00

Story and photos: Herbert Rachuene
>>herbert@mailbox.co.za