Natal Rich Boyz gain promotion

RICHARDS Bay FC, nicknamed the Natal Rich Boyz, won the National First Division championship yesterday and will play in the DStv Premiership next season after they finished the season on 59 points.

The University of Pretoria (AmaTuks) and Cape Town All Stars finished in second place and third place, respectively. They will fight it out with a yet unconfirmed top-flight outfit in the three-team PSL promotion/relegation play-offs in a few weeks.

Richards Bay started the final round of the GladAfrica Championship on top of the standings and a goalless draw against Cape Town Spurs at King Zwelithini Stadium yesterday was enough to see them earn automatic promotion to the elite league, while also claiming the GladAfrica Championship crown. The University of Pretoria, meanwhile, could have won the championship in a tight title race that lasted until the final day, but needed Richards Bay to falter, while securing victory. They failed to see either of those objectives achieved by also playing out a 0-0 draw against Hungry Lions at Tuks Stadium.

They, along with CT All Stars, will nevertheless contest in the PSL promotion/relegation play-offs, despite All Stars also losing their last encounter of the regular season 1-0 to JDR Stars.

JDR Stars closed out the top four but, along with Venda (who finished fifth), were never in contention for a play-off berth this weekend. At the bottom of the Championship standings, Jomo Cosmos and TS Sporting had already been relegated to the ABC Motsepe League before the commencement of yesterday’s final round. Ezenkosi did manage to bid farewell to the league with a 2-1 victory over Callies, however, which lifted them to second last in the standings ahead of Abantu Bemthetho, who lost 1-0 to Uthingathi FC, on goal difference. Although the NFD clubs that will participate in the promotion/ relegation play-offs are now known, the Premiership club that will join them will remain unconfirmed until next weekend with Baroka, Swallows, TS Galaxy and Maritzburg United still fighting to avoid being in the final two spots on the table. *