Pretoria Callies coach Mpho Maleka.
By: Refilwe Sebola
Pretoria Callies head coach Mpho Maleka has injected fresh hope into the club’s National First Division (NFD) survival campaign.
His leadership has led the team to back-to-back victories, lifting them out of immediate relegation danger with just two games remaining in the season.
Callies achieved a stunning 2-1 victory against sixth-placed Milford FC last week and followed it with a clinical 2-0 home win over twelfth-placed Hungry Lions. These six points have propelled the Pretoria side to eleventh in the standings, now holding 33 points from 28 games—just above the relegation zone.
With two matches left to play, Callies need one more win to mathematically secure their NFD status for next season. Their next match is a challenging away fixture against ninth-placed Baroka FC in Limpopo this Sunday, followed by a potentially decisive home clash against seventh-placed JDR Stars next weekend.
Maleka, who took over the team during a critical phase of the season, has brought much-needed tactical discipline and renewed confidence to a squad that had struggled with consistency earlier in the campaign. His immediate impact has been potentially season-saving.
“We’re not safe yet,” Maleka cautioned. “But the boys have shown heart, and that gives us belief. Every point now is precious. We’ll fight until the last whistle.”
While Callies currently hold the advantage, the relegation battle remains a tense four-way contest among clubs with 29 points: Upington City, Venda FC, Cape Town Spurs (formerly known as Ajax), and bottom-placed Leruma United with 25 points.
Cape Town Spurs face a daunting path to survival, needing victories against both Hungry Lions and runaway leaders Durban City. Upington City, sitting just four points adrift of Callies, must face the University of Pretoria away and then Highbury at home—both mid-table teams with pride and form to fight for.
Venda FC, level on points with Upington, also find themselves on edge. They will face third-placed Casric Stars this Sunday in Venda—one of the most in-form teams chasing playoff qualification—followed by an away match against fifth-placed Kruger United next Sunday, who are also playoff hopefuls.
Maleka’s former team, Leruma United, seems destined for relegation with only 25 points and two must-win matches left against Milford and Orbit College. Their fate is now out of their hands.
If any of the three clubs currently on 29 points drop even a single match, Callies could guarantee their survival without another win—though Maleka insists his team won’t rely on such favors.
“The only thing we can control is our performance,” he stated. “We have two finals left, and we’ll approach them with the same hunger.”
As the NFD season nears its dramatic conclusion, all eyes will be on Pretoria Callies to see if Maleka’s turnaround can be completed—or if the final two matchdays will bring more twists in an already thrilling relegation battle.
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