29-05-2025
SuperSport survive dreaded playoffs in game of two halves, and three months
The Betway Premiership season has officially, finally, come to an end with SuperSport United surviving the dreaded promotion play-offs with a 1-1 draw with Golden Arrows at Lucas Moripe Stadium on Thursday.
This second half, which ended without goals, was a continuation of the match that was abandoned at half time on February 23, three months ago, due to Lucas Moripe's lights going out amid a power failure with the score level at 1-1 at half time.
At that time, SuperSport opened the scoring after four minutes through the effort of Christian Saile and that goal was cancelled out in the 24th minute by Velemseni Ndwandwe for Arrows.
SuperSport, whose future remains in doubt with rumours the club is on sale, are equal on 27 points with Cape Town City but they have a better goal-difference and they have saved their status in the PSL.
Emotional scenes as SuperSport Utd breathe a sigh of relief 🥹 #BetwayPrem | #SSDiski
— SuperSport Football ⚽️ (@SSFootball) May 29, 2025
This means City, who finished 15th, go to the play-offs where they will play against Motsepe Foundation Championship (MFC) sides Orbit College and Casric Stars — pending an arbitration involving MFC champions Durban City — to save their PSL status.
It is not known whether this is the end of this matter because City's boss John Comitis is believed to be seeking legal advice to challenge the validity of this match, where two halves were played three months apart.
According to the rules, the game should resume with all personnel who were involved that day and yellow cards in place but both scorers Saile and Ndwandwe were not in the match-day squads, presumably due to injury. Both sides' coaches had also changed, Andre Arendse replacing Gavin Hunt at Matsatsantsa and Manqoba Mngithi coming in for Kagisho Dikgacoi and Musa Bilankulu, who became his assistants, at Arrows.
Ordinarily the 16th-placed Premiership side is automatically relegated and 15th team goes to the promotion-relegation playoffs. This season, due to Royal AM's expulsion, only the 15-positioned side goes to the playoffs, with no side dropping automatically.
Faced with a situation where a defeat could have resulted in devastating consequences, Arendse went with a strong line-up of players like the Bafana Bafana duo of Ricardo Goss and Nyiko Mobbie, former national captain Thulani Hlatshwayo, Ime Okon, Lebohang Maboe, Sipheshihle Ndlovu, Samir Nurković and Lyle Lakay.
Mngqithi picked a strong combination too, which included key players like Isimail Watenga, Gladwin Shitolo, Brandon Theron, Nduduzo Sibiya, Nhlanhla Zwane and Lungelo Dube.
Arrows ended the season in 12th place and Mngqithi has a lot of work to do during the off-season to recruit players who will help the team be consistent next campaign.
There was relief at the final whistle with SuperSport players and members of staff in wild celebrations but the issue remains about the continued status of the club that has three league titles.
