Notwane in deep trouble
Boitumelo Khutsafalo | Saturday May 7, 2022 06:00
Toronto blew a huge chance with the defeat to Lions who had previously only registered two victories the entire season. Toronto are left with three tricky encounters, which would determine their destiny in the coming season. They are currently sitting at position 14 with 19 points, four behind Mogoditshane Fighters who are at position 13.
The club recently roped in Thaloba Nthaga to help survive the dreaded axe. This gave the team hope after they defeated BDF XI. In their remaining games, Notwane will take on log leaders and title favourites, Gaborone United (GU) and also face Orapa United and Police XI, who are also looking to solidify their top-eight finish. The victory against Notwane kept Gilport in the race to survive the axe but their destiny now depends on how Fighters play in their last four games. Gilport are languishing at the bottom of the log with 16 points.
If they had lost to Notwane, they would have effectively been relegated to the lower division. They now face a near-impossible mission of winning all the remaining three matches against Jwaneng Galaxy, Prisons XI, and BDF XI. Mahalapye Railway Highlanders wasted a glorious chance when they allowed Sua Flamingoes to come back into the match as the two teams drew 3-3 on Wednesday. Highlanders sit dangerously at position 15 with 19 points. Like Gilport Lions and Notwane, Highlanders’ fate does not only rest on themselves but also hope that Prisons XI and Mogoditshane Fighters lose all their remaining matches as well.
Highlanders, who have proved to be unpredictable in the last five matches, still have to play against GU, Galaxy and Morupule Wanderers. They lost all the matches against the three sides in the first round. Fighters have an edge in their quest for survival since they have a game in hand compared to other relegation candidates. If they win two matches in the remaining four, they automatically survive. They have collected seven points in their last three games and are 13th on the log with 23 points.
They still have to play Masitaoka, Sua Flamingoes, Security Systems and Galaxy. Prisons XI on the other hand are left with three matches and also need two wins to secure their status in the Premier League. They have so far collected 24 points with BDF XI, Gilport Lions and Sua Flamingoes waiting in the last three matches. Meanwhile, GU stepped closer to the league title after their 1-0 win over Masitaoka on Tuesday. The Reds now only need to win three out of the remaining four matches to clinch their first league title in 13 years.