CHIPPA IN TROUBLE WATER!

BY AKHONA WILLIAMS

Chippa United are staring straight down the barrel of possible automatic DStv Premiership relegation after a crushing and embarrassing loss to TS Galaxy at the Mbombela Stadium on Saturday.

The 4-0 drubbing has allowed the relegation zone to strengthen its grip on the Chilli Boys, who are now tied with last-placed Maritzburg on 29 points and occupy 15th position thanks only to a narrow one-goal difference.

Marumo Gallants are also on 29 points in 14th spot, but they have a much better goal-difference advantage.

While Chippa capitulated in Mpumalanga, Maritzburg used home-ground advantage to secure a fighting 1-0 victory over Stellenbosch to draw level with Chippa on the log standings.

The win was not enough to pull The Team of Choice out of the automatic relegation spot, but has most definitely now made that berth a race between themselves and Chippa.

In Chippa’s favour is that Maritzburg must play their final fixture against champions Mamelodi Sundowns on Tuesday, due to the Brazilians’ Champions League participation.

Maritzburg will be hoping for at least a point to push them ahead of Chippa, who host Golden Arrows at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Saturday, while Gallants travel to face Swallows on the same day.

Coach Lehlohonolo Seema’s team will now be chasing nothing less than a win against Arrows.

Anything less and they run the real risk of some type of relegation threat if Marumo manage to win.

It was a brace from Kamogelo Sebelebele (33rd and 52nd minute) that put Sead Ramovic’s side in the driver’s seat before Masilake Phohlongo and Nkosikhona Radebe got their names on the scoresheet late against Chippa to secure the Rockets’ top-flight status with one game remaining.

It was a first win in six matches for Galaxy and took them six points clear of the relegation zone and they are now just two shy of the top eight in 10th position, with Stellenbosch (sixth), Sekhukhune United (seventh), Arrows (eighth) and Swallows (ninth) all tied on 37 points.

Meanwhile, Maritzburg chair Farouk Kadodia has expressed disappointment that the PSL declined their request to postpone their crunch clash against Sundowns

“We are disappointed that the league has turned down our request to move the fixtures to a date where all the relegation matches will be played at the same time,” Kadodia said. 

“We played on Saturday against Stellenbosch and it was a very high-intensity game and we have no time to recover because we are playing again on Tuesday.” 

Inasmuch as it is tight at the bottom half of the log, the final day of the season will see Orlando Pirates and SuperSport United going all out to seal the last Champions League spot.