SuperSport United secured their top-flight status after playing to a 1-1 draw against Golden Arrows in the resumption of their Betway Premiership clash on Thursday.
The fixture was the continuation of a match initially played on 23 February but abandoned due to a power failure. The scoreline from that day – with goals from Christian Saile for SuperSport and Velemseni Ndwandwe for Arrows – stood, and only the remaining 45 minutes were played.
At the time of the original match, Matsatsantsa were still under the leadership of veteran coach Gavin Hunt, who was celebrating his 1,000th game in South African football.
The crucial point from the stalemate lifted SuperSport to 14th place on the log with 27 points – level with 15th-placed Cape Town City but ahead on goal difference.
Arrows, who had little to play for in terms of the table, remained in 12th position on 31 points.
With just a half to play, SuperSport were determined to avoid the dreaded promotion/relegation playoffs. They pressed for a winner while maintaining defensive discipline to keep Arrows at bay.
However, clear-cut chances were few and far between for both sides. The visitors nearly caused a scare in the 72nd minute when Angelo van Rooi’s effort forced a save from goalkeeper Ricardo Goss.
Moments later, substitute Bradley Grobler had a golden opportunity to seal the win for the hosts, but his shot sailed off target.
In the end, neither side could break the deadlock in the second half, a result that ultimately favoured the Pretoria outfit as they successfully staved off relegation fears to remain in the Betway Premiership.