Swallows pip Ajax Cape Town to automatic promotion back to PSL

In what is arguably the greatest resurrection story in SA football, Swallows are back in the top-flight.

The Dube Birds clinched the GladAfrica Championship title via a 3-0 win over Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila (TTM), who had already secured the third spot and qualified for the play-offs, at Makhulong Stadium on Sunday.

Thanks to their superior goal difference, Swallows pipped

Ajax Cape Town to automatic promotion. Both teams finished on 57 points with the Urban Warriors, who beat Mbombela United 3-0 at the same time, having to settle for the second spot.

Swallows were relegated from the Premiership in the 2014/15 season. Their situation deteriorated when they suffered two successive relegations in the following two campaigns. The Soweto club returned to professional football by buying the second-tier status of Maccabi at the start of the season.

Kagiso Malinga’s two goals, one in each half, coupled with Given Thibedi’s strike, sealed the deal for Swallows against a lukewarm TTM outfit. In the other match, Ajax struck via

Sonwabile Mfecane, Eleazar Rodgers and Abednigo Mosiatlhaga. The latter netted his 18th to win the Golden Boot.

Swallows’ triumph will certainly be a bitter pill to swallow for Ajax, given that they’d been top of the log since beating

Uthongathi in January until they lost 2-1 to JDR Stars last Wednesday. Swallows capitalised on Ajax’s loss to JDR by beating Richards Bay 2-0.

Exactly as in last season when they missed out on a play-off spot by just one goal, finishing fourth behind TTM, it was again a single goal that denied Ajax automatic promotion.

Jomo Cosmos avoided relegation after beating Pretoria University 1-0. Instead TS Sporting followed Royal Eagles out of the GladAfrica.