PSL Playoff: Calamitous Season Ends with Stalemate for Relegated Cape Town City

PSL Playoff: Calamitous Season Ends with Stalemate for Relegated Cape Town City

Cape Town City has endured a truly disastrous 2024/25 Betway Premiership campaign, culminating in their first-ever relegation to the Motsepe Foundation Championship.

The Citizens’ fate was sealed even before their final PSL Playoff match, where they could only manage a 1-1 draw against Casric Stars at DHL Stadium in Cape Town on Monday afternoon.

After they lost their crucial previous playoff game to Orbit College, who secured their promotion to the top flight, Cape Town City entered this match with their demotion confirmed.

The draw against Casric Stars simply marked the end of a turbulent and ultimately disheartening season for the Western Cape outfit.

Read: All the Done Deals for 2025/26 Betway Premiership

The season began with a sense of optimism under coach Eric Tinkler, bolstered by the significant signings of experienced midfielders Fortune Makaringe, Haashim Domingo, and Kamohelo Mokotjo.

This initial promise was evident in their opening MTN8 quarter-final victory against Sekhukhune United, though their journey in that competition ended with a 3-1 aggregate loss to Orlando Pirates in the semi-finals.

Soon thereafter, the league campaign started on a sour note with a 3-0 defeat against Western Cape rivals Stellenbosch, a team they hadn’t beaten since December 2020.

While a hard-fought 1-0 win against SuperSport United provided a brief respite, it was followed by a disappointing exit from the Carling Knockout Cup, losing 5-4 on penalties to Richards Bay in the quarterfinals.

The cracks began to show as City struggled to win consecutive league matches. This inconsistent run ultimately led to the club parting ways with Eric Tinkler on New Year’s Eve, following a poor run of three losses in five matches.

In a bid to turn their fortunes around, the club appointed former Kaizer Chiefs coach Muhsin Ertugral as Tinkler’s replacement.

The Turkish tactician initially brought a wave of renewed hope, winning three of his first four matches in charge, including significant victories against Soweto giants Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs.

The mid-season addition of former Bafana Bafana and Ajax Amsterdam star Thulani Serero, 35, during the January transfer window further fueled expectations within South African football circles.

Yet, this promising momentum proved fleeting. The team’s form dramatically dipped, as they lost six of their next seven matches, sliding perilously into the relegation/playoffs zone. This alarming decline prompted Chairman John Comitis to wield the axe once more, sacking Muhsin Ertugral.

The club then opted to promote assistant coach Diogo Peral to the head coach position for the remainder of the 2024/25 Betway Premiership season.

That being said, Peral’s six-game stint in the top flight yielded only a single victory for City, as the club ultimately finished a disappointing 15th place, condemning them to the dreaded PSL relegation playoffs.

The playoff campaign mirrored their league struggles. Cape Town City failed to win any of their first three playoff matches, with a crucial 1-0 loss against Orbit College delivering the final blow and confirming their first relegation from the PSL top-flight since the 2016/17 season.

The team’s inability to convert encouraging performances into victories, coupled with a dismal scoring record of only 15 goals in the 2024 Betway Premiership, points to a campaign where they ultimately have only themselves to blame.

Looking ahead, Chairman John Comitis has already confirmed in a radio interview with Robert Marawa that the club is exploring drastic measures to secure their top-flight status.

He revealed that they are actively considering buying a PSL top-flight status to remain in the Betway Premiership, with newly promoted Orbit College and SuperSport United being touted as possible targets for such a move. This potential maneuver highlights the desperation within the club to avoid life in the second tier.