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| Collins the key man in tight PSL fight |
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Rodney Reiners May 17 2005 at 01:51PM |
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Heading into the final week of action in the Premier Soccer League, the championship crown will be contested between the country's two most popular and best supported clubs.
And Amakhosi will again be relying on the goals of the powerful Zambian striker this week. But SuperSport, Chiefs' opponents on Wednesday, are certain to be highly competitive. The Pretoria team have proven to be Amakhosi's nemesis in the past and coach Pitso Mosimane's men come off a magnificent 5-0 hammering of Santos in the Absa Cup semifinals. And if the race for the league championship is going down to the wire, so too is the battle for relegation from the Premier League. With Santos, Jomo Cosmos and Bush Bucks having secured their top-flight status in recent weeks, the race for the drop to the First Division has come down to Manning Rangers, Wits University, Dynamos and Black Leopards.
Only the bottom club on the Premier League log will be automatically relegated and only the winner of the First Division is promoted. The team finishing second from bottom in the Premier League will go into a play-off competition with the teams finishing second, third and fourth in the First Division. The winner of the play-offs gets a spot in the Premier League. Free State Stars have won the First Division, while Classic, Durban Stars, Hellenic, Maritzburg United and Zulu Royals are in contention for the play-offs. The First Division also plays its final round of fixtures this week. Ajax Cape Town will have a major say in the relegation battle when they take on third-from-bottom Dynamos at Newlands on Wednesday evening. Limpopo Province outfit Dynamos need two points from their remaining two matches to ensure Premier League safety. But Ajax coach Gordon Igesund is not about to make it easy for them. "There's not much in Wednesday's match for us," said Igesund. "We cannot finish higher or lower than sixth on the Premier League log. "But we'll still be going out there to win. We have a responsibility to the other teams in the league to play honestly. We were in the same position two years ago, so I know what it feels like. It's only fair that we give of our best." With Igesund having nothing really to play for, he is keen on using his last two games - Dynamos on Wednesday and Sundowns at Newlands on Sunday - to try out a few things. "I have a general idea of where I am with the team," he said. "But with the African Champions League resuming in June, these games are an opportunity for some of the players to show me what they have, and it's an opportunity for me to have a look at a few more combinations. But, rest assured, we won't be letting up. Teams I coach always play to win." For Ajax, defender Dominic Isaacs is suspended and Bradley August is also unavailable after having a cartilage scan recently. August has been struggling with the injury all season and is currently in discussion with doctors as to whether he needs an operation or not. Five of Igesund's emerging youngsters - Granwald Scott, Lunga Dlangudlangu, Stanton Lewis, André Petim and Clifford Ngobeni - were part of the Ajax Under-19 squad that participated in a youth tournament in Holland. The quintet arrive back in the city on Wednesday afternoon and Igesund will only then assess whether to select them. "I doubt I'll start any of them, but they may be on the bench," said Igesund. This week's PSL fixtures Wednesday Loftus: Supersport United vs Kaizer Chiefs Newlands: Ajax Cape Town vs Dynamos (8pm) Sunday Giyani: Dynamos vs Golden Arrows Rand: Moroka Swallows vs Black Leopards Johannesburg: Orlando Pirates vs Bush Bucks Polokwane: Silver Stars vs Wits University Newlands: Ajax Cape Town vs Sundowns (3.15pm) Bloemfontein: Bloemfontein Celtic vs Kaizer Chiefs Chatsworth: Manning Rangers vs Jomo Cosmos
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