After a brief weekend off to give way to the Orange FA Cup, the Debswana First Division South League (DFDSL) gets back into full swing today (Wednesday).
All the 12 teams in the DFDSL will be in action. Table toppers Matebele will be seeking to get their title hopes back on track when they take a short visit to Tlokweng VDC Grounds for a date with Tlokweng United.
Following the setback of losing against second placed Crack It City Polar last weekend, Matebele know anything other than win will be acceptable. Should they lose and City Polar win, the latter will end the day at the summit. Should they draw and City Pola win, the two will be tied for points with Matebele only staying top due to a better goal difference.
Second placed City Polar on the other hand will welcome Flamengo Santos at City Polar Stadium. Having been dumped off from the Orange FA Cup this past weekend, City Polar’s sole focus will now solely be on the league.
Elsewhere, Leutlwetse Tshireletso’s VTM FC will be seeking to keep close tabs on the top two teams when they visit Tsabong VDC grounds for a clash with Black Rangers.
Following an indifferent campaign, VTM FC has now got second wind and will be seeking to extend their winning streak. The Mmamhiko based outfit will go into the encounter with a full knowledge that only a win will be acceptable if they are to realise their promotion hopes.
Still on Wednesday, fourth placed Notwane will host Broadhurst United at SSG Grounds. For Notwane, the game will be crucial as a loss will further dent their chances of promotion. Notwane was once just a point behind leaders Matebele, only to slip to fourth following two consecutive losses.
In what is a tight race for honours, the gap between the first and fourth placed team in the DFDSL is just a mere four points. In the current scenario, none of the teams in the top four can afford to drop points.
Today’s fixtures will be crucial for all the four promotion chasing sides as only three games will be left before the season concludes. With the difference between them so minimal, none of the teams is guaranteed a safe passage to the elite league.
For Matebele and Notwane in particular, today’s games will be of greater importance as they will face off in the next match. Losses or draws in today’s games and their clash will only put them in danger of missing out on promotion.
How the top four’s three remaining games looks like
After today’s encounter with Tlokweng United, Matebele’s next clash will be against fellow promotion chasers Notwane. They will then take on Young Stars before concluding their season against rivals Mochudi Centre Chiefs.
City Polar on the other hand will battle against relegation strugglers in their three remaining games of the season. On paper, City Polar have the easiest title run-in. They will take on URI Black Forest, Black Rangers and Matebejana FC in that order.
For the now high flying third placed VTM FC, the last three games will be a little easier. After today’s game against Rangers, Bafana ba Dijabane’s last three will see them try to crack the whip on Mochudi Centre Chiefs, Matebejana FC and Broadhurst United in that order.
Notwane’s three remaining games after today’s games will be against Matebele FC, Flamengo Santos and URI Black Forest in that order.
