Orbit College has secured promotion to the Betway Premiership following a crucial 1-0 victory over Cape Town City at Olympia Park Stadium.
This result, however, comes at the devastating expense of Cape Town City, who are now relegated to the Motsepe Foundation Championship after a dismal campaign.
The decisive moment of the match arrived just two minutes after the halftime interval when Orbit College forward Letsie Koapeng found the back of the net, scoring the only goal of the game.
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For Cape Town City, this loss caps a truly dreadful season. They finished the league campaign in 15th position, a shocking decline for a club that has been a fixture in the Premiership for nearly a decade since its inception.
Ahead of the crunch tie, the Western-Cape based outfit was acutely aware of the stakes, needing four points from their final two playoff matches to avoid the drop. They started the contest with intent, creating early opportunities.
Former Mamelodi Sundowns dangerman Haashim Domingo sent a long-range effort wide, while France forward Amadou Soukouna’s shot was directly at Orbit College’s goalkeeper, Sekhoane Moerane.
As the first half progressed, Orbit College grew into the game, increasingly testing Cape Town City’s veteran shot stopper, Darren Keet. Their persistence paid off almost immediately after the break when Koapeng skillfully beat Keet at his near post, putting the home side 1-0 up.
In the closing stages of the tie, Cape Town City desperately pushed for an equalizer, piling on the pressure. Yet, their efforts were in vain; the crucial final pass or cross consistently eluded their targets, highlighting the very issues that plagued their season. Ultimately, their performance on the day mirrored their overall campaign – poor and ineffective when it mattered most.
The final whistle at Olympia Park Stadium brought contrasting emotions. On one side, there were wild celebrations from Orbit College players and their ecstatic supporters, reveling in their hard-earned promotion. On the other, the reality of relegation sank in for Cape Town City, ending their nine-year stay in South Africa’s top-flight league.