Thlothlokwe Golden Syrup manager Thabo Moremi.
By: Refilwe Sebola
ABC Motsepe League newcomers Thlothlokwe Golden Syrup will play their last card this Saturday as they fight to avoid relegation in their debut season.
The Bolobedu-based team must win against Musina United to keep their slim survival hopes alive; a loss or draw would officially relegate them from the league.
Currently sitting at the bottom of the table, Thlothlokwe has 9 points from 20 games. Their only lifeline is dependent on the performance of fellow strugglers Black Leopards, who are just above them with 14 points from the same number of matches. If the Leopards lose both of their remaining games and Golden Syrup manages to win both of theirs, they will edge ahead with 15 points—one more than the Leopards.
However, both teams face tough challenges in their final fixtures. Thlothlokwe will host Selwane White Vultures in their last game. Although the Vultures are out of the title race, they remain a formidable opponent, and a win for Syrup would require a major upset—unless their fellow Mopani region club lends a helping hand.
Black Leopards, on the other hand, will be up against high-flying Nkowankowa Continental and Mpheni Defenders. Given their current form, which has seen them lose consistently, it is likely they may not collect any points from these two matches.
Thlothlokwe’s team manager, Thabo Moremi, believes his side has been performing well but has struggled to convert chances into goals. “We play good football, but we’ve been wasteful in front of goal,” he said.
Musina United, Golden Syrup’s opponents this weekend, are mathematically out of the title race but still have something to prove. Sitting fifth in the standings with 30 points from 19 games, they can only reach a maximum of 39 points—insufficient to catch the current frontrunners, Munaca, Mpheni, and Vondwe, who need just one more win to hit that mark, with games in hand.
Musina defeated Thlothlokwe 2-0 in the first round, and Saturday’s clash at Mamanyoha Stadium, kicking off at 15:00, will determine whether Golden Syrup can pull off a last-minute escape or bow out of the league in their maiden season.