16 May 2024

The First Division leagues, both North and South will this weekend draw curtains to a close, with the battle for survival still wide open for a host of teams at the bottom. 

In the north, the battle for the championship and play-offs spots are still very much alive. 

With the First Division South having been settled at the top and Jwaneng Young Stars having been assured of the championship and Union Flamengo Santos having booked a spot in the play-offs, focus will now shift to the bottom of the table where four teams in URI Black Forest, Desert Nxau, Mogoditshane Fighters and Notwane are batting to avoid the chop. 

The safety point at the moment has been pegged at 25 points, meaning that Extension Gunners with 24 points are also to some extent in the mix, although a draw will give them an assurance. 

In the case of a loss, Extension Gunners could still be favoured by their healthy goal difference. 

The status quo is also such that all the bottom teams will play with an eye on each other, as a win for them will also depend on how others in the mix also play. In such a battle for survival, Black Forest welcomes an equally threatened Notwane at the Black Forest Arena. 

Black Forest currently occupy the basement with 20 points while Notwane occupy position eight with 22 points. Desert Nxau welcomes Gunners at the VDC grounds in Tsabong also well aware that they need nothing but a win. Desert, who occupied the bottom spot for the better part of the season, displayed a strong determination for survival in recent games. 

In another battle for survival, Mogoditshane Fighters will welcome City Polar at the Mogoditshane Fighters grounds hoping to add three points to their current 22. 

They are current level on points with Notwane. In other games, UB Hawks will lie in wait for Tlokweng United while Santos will welcome Mochudi Centre Chefs, who were given a breather after being restored four points following an appeal of their case of failure to remit. 

Champions, Jwaneng Young Stars aka Dinaletsana will be wrapping up the season’s celebrations at home when they host Prisons XI at the Galaxy Stadium. Meanwhile, in the First Division North, the battle for automatic promotion and play-off spots is still very much alive between the three top teams in Chadibe FC, Motlakase Power FC and Sankoyo Bush Bucks. 

Chadibe and Motlakase are currently joint top with 37 points, with Chadibe having an advantage on goal difference while hot on their heels is Sankoyo with 35 points. Chadibe will in their last game travel to Kasane to face Mbalakalungu, who could be a tough nut to crack on their day. 

Motlakase will on the other hand welcome BR Highlanders, while Bush Bucks will travel to Mahalapye where they will be guest to Santa Green at Pekenene Junior Secondary School grounds. 

With a healthy goal difference of nine against two of their closet rivals, a win for Chadibe will mathematically assure them of the championship, unless Motlakase can really open floodgates against their neighbours without a response. 

At the other end of the table, Pilikwe United will play next season at the regional leagues as they have already been relegated. 

They have 18 points while Makungulupeswa are positioned 10 with 22 points. The battle for survival will therefore be between Makungulupeswa and Green Lovers who have accumulated 19 points. 

Makungulupeswa travel to Calendar Stars while Green Lovers will welcome Peacemakers. In other fixtures, Pilikwe United will bid farewell to the second tier at home against Tsabotlhe. All the games in both divisions start at 3pm. ENDs