18 Apr 2024

The First Division South league is finally reaching a home straight, and this weekend, teams will be going into week 18 of activities. The fixtures open Friday (April 19) with a clash between long time log leaders, Jwaneng Young Stars meeting former premier league giants, Extension Gunners at the Galaxy stadium.

Dinaletsana, as Young Stars are fondly known, go into the fixture having accumulated 37 points from 17 games, a healthy seven point gap between them and second placed City Polar with five games remaining.

Mathematically, Young Stars need only three wins from their remaining games to ensure an unassailable finish in the league, but it is a cushion they will avoid slumbering on just yet, looking at the critical stage the league is at. Young Stars also have the healthiest goal difference in the division at 25, having scored 38 and only letting in 13 across all the 17 games played so far.

Gunners, on the other hand, are languishing at position eight on the log with a paltry 18 points from as many games as their weekend opponent. The Peleng Giants have previously cited internal issues as affecting their performance.
The rest of the fixtures are slated for Saturday, with former Premier League giant, Mochudi Centre Chiefs hosting another former elite league side, Notwane at River Plate in Mochudi. Having been one of the teams that looked like challenging for promotion to the elite league, Notwane has since trickled down to position 10, just two points above the relegation zone.

Setshaba will have to pull all shorts in the remaining games to avoid the embarrassment of trickling further down to division one, which at this point is still a high possibility. Centre Chiefs on the other hand sits at position seven with 21 points. Magosi slumped to position seven from five after being docked four points for allegedly failing to remit gate takings from their last four games.
Perhaps one of the most interesting fixtures of the weekend will be between bottom placed sides, Desert Nxau and Mogoditshane Fighters. Fighters will travel the long distance to Tsabong with a single objective of solidifying Desert Nxau’s position at the base, at the same time improving their own chances of survival

Since the beginning of the season, Desert Nxau has never known any position on the log than the basement, and they are still rooted there with 11 points from 16 games, with Fighters juts above them with 15 points from 17 games. Desert Nxau are also aware that hosting an equally struggling side is their chance to get only their second win of the season.
The two also share the worst goal difference in the league with a negative 15 each. At the SSG grounds, Prisons XI will host its neighbour Tlokweng United. The Warders currently occupy position five with 22 points, while United are just a point below them. The slim difference is likely to ensure a well-contested game.
At Gabane, City Polar will be visitors to Union Flamengo Santos at Gabane United grounds. The fixture is also one of the most interesting of the weekend as the two teams sit at positions two and three respectively, equal on points at 30 each. City Polar has a slight advantage of just three on goal difference. The two teams are also the closest challengers to log leaders, Young Stars.

The last fixture of the day will be between URI Black Forest and UB Hawks at Black Forest Arena in Mankgodi.
Black Forest are currently a shadow of a side that caused panic when they played in the elite league as rookies a few seasons back. They are facing one of the tough teams in the division in Hawks.
The Students have not lost a game in the second round, and their good form is reflected even in the Orange FA Cup, where they are still the only remaining team from the lower divisions.
All the games start at 3:30pm except for the Friday fixture, which kicks off at 6:00pm. BOPA