Gavin Hunt of SuperSport United finds himself in the unusual position fighting a relegation battle.
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The 2024/25 season of the Betway Premiership has been nothing short of action-packed at both ends of the table. With a Fifa international break interrupting the campaign over the next couple of weeks, Independent Media takes a look at the league's current state of play.
Mamelodi Sundowns have once again threatened to run away with the championship but with Orlando Pirates keeping the race interesting, the season could be set for an exciting finale at the top.
The battle for relegation, meanwhile, has also had its fair share of drama, with a few surprising contenders being dragged into the fight due to inconsistent results. Royal AM could be staring down the barrel, having failed to resolve their off-field issues in time. They are sitting in the automatic relegation position but might simply just lose their elite status in the coming weeks.
That means the PSL promotion/relegation play-off spot will be hotly contested, and as the season nears its conclusion, below are the teams currently in danger of having to play to maintain their status.
P23 W6 D5 L13 GD-14 Pts23
Things change quickly in football. Just a few weeks ago, Magesi seemed doomed for relegation, with survival looking highly unlikely.
During that period, the Citizens appointed Muhsin Ertugral as the man to steer them back to stability after showing Eric Tinkler the door. The move initially paid off, with the 65-year-old guiding them to victories over Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs. On Monday, the Turk departed the club by mutual consent after a wretched run of results.
With seven matches left to play, the Cape side now finds itself without a coach or technical director, with assistant coach Diogo Peral to run the club until the end of the season. It will be a tough challenge for City to climb back up the table.
Remaining fixtures: SuperSport United (a); Sekhukhune United (h); Richards Bay (a); Mamelodi Sundowns (h); Polowane City (a); Stellenbosch (h)
Abdeslam Ouaddou of Marumo Gallants.
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P22 W6 D4 L12 GD-15 Pts22
Abdeslam Ouaddou made an impressive start to his tenure by leading Marumo Gallants to a 2-0 victory over Orlando Pirates in their Betway Premiership clash, after replacing Dan Malesela last month. However, the Moroccan coach has since struggled for results, with his 1-0 win against Cape Town City being his only victory following back-to-back losses to Sekhukhune United (2-1) and Stellenbosch FC (1-0).
The Bloemfontein-based side will have another chance to embarass Orlando Pirates in the Nedbank Cup semi-finals, but will arguably be more concerned with elite league survival.
Remaining fixtures: TS Galaxy (h); SuperSport United (a); Golden Arrows (h); Kaizer Chiefs (a); Chippa United (h); Magesi (a)
P21 W5 D6 L10 GD-10 Pts21
Matsatsantsa are paying the price for their inconsistent performances throughout the campaign, finding themselves in an unfamiliar position. The club’s new signings initially appeared to provide the spark coach Gavin Hunt desperately needed, but with only one win in their last five matches, there are few signs of a turnaround.
Hunt, who has won three league titles with SuperSport, may be the club’s last hope for survival. With the side desperate for results, his experience could be the key to pulling them out of their current predicament.
Remaining fixtures: Cape Town City (h); Gallants (a); Orlando Pirates (h); Polokwane City (a); Chippa United (h); Stellenbosch (a); Richards Bay (h)
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