This season’s relegation battle is one of the most interesting ever seen in local soccer circles.
With about two matches to go, it is not really clear who is going to make the exit from the Premier league but there are several candidates who are facing the chop.
Normally at this time of the league, at least one team should already have been condemned to the First Division but it is not yet clear.
Teams that are facing the chop are Killer Giants, Jwaneng Comets, Boteti Young Fighters, Tafic and Motlakase.
Of these, the team that looks a bit safe is Tafic because they have more matches in hand.
Before the weekend, they were to play four while matches while the other teams were to play two.
The team that appears to be in real danger, although with a mathematical chance of survival, is Ramotswa based side, Killer Giants.
However, any victory for one of the above teams will enhance their survival chances while a loss will mean disaster.
Interestingly, of the four teams facing relegation, two, Boteti Young Fighters and Jwaneng Comets, are under the tutelage of local coaches.
Boteti is under Kenneth Mogae while Comets are under Oris Radipotsane. Hats off to Mogae, whether his team manages to survive or not, because he managed to keep the team in the Premier League for the past three seasons despite the impeccable challenges he faced.
Travelling from Orapa means they are the team that had to travel the most. And without sound financial back up they always operated on a very thin budget.
At times, the players were reported threatening to boycott the matches because of unpaid salaries.
Coach Mogae had also to leave the team on several occasions for national call up. He was once with Major David Bright at the Under 23s.
Now he is the assistant coach of the senior national team.
Mogae has proven himself a capable coach if given all round support.
On the other hand, ambitious Motlakase have vowed not to be relegated to the lower division.
The Public Relations Officer of the team, Monty Gagomokgwa, told Sunday Standard that they are in a good position to survive and are prepared both mentally and physically.
“The promotion of our fellow neighbours, Miscellaneous, is just a motivating factor on its own and it is going to make it interesting for the central region to have two teams in the Premier League. Definitely we are not going to be relegated and we are fully prepared and the results will show,” he said.
