LIMPOPO – The ABC Motsepe League national promotional playoffs will finally take place to determine the teams that will be promoted to the GladAfrica Championship Division, bringing months of speculation to an end.

The playoffs will be staged in Upington from June 17-23.

Safa indicated that the provincial playoffs for promotion to the ABC Motsepe League will also proceed to determine the two teams that will be promoted to that league.

Mpheni Defenders will represent Limpopo in the national playoffs. The representatives from the other provinces are Eastern Cape FC (Eastern Cape), Mangaung United (Free State), Dondol Stars (Gauteng), Kruger United (Mpumalanga), Northern Cape FC (Northern Cape), Thames (North West), FN Rangers (Western Cape) and Njampela FC (Kwazulu-Natal).

Asked about their level of readiness for the playoffs, Mpheni Defenders coach Vhutshilo Phuravhathu said the team started with their normal training sessions upon receiving the communique from Safa last week.

He reiterated that they were not going to the playoffs just to fill the number of participating teams, but with the aim of avoiding a repeat of what happened last year.

Defenders took part in the same tournament in Pietermaritzburg last year, but failed to qualify after they were beaten in the semi- final. He said his players are ready for matches and promised that they are going to represent the province well in their matches, ultimately aiming for promotion to the Motsepe Foundation Championship League.