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Royal Zulu need a point
15/05/2008 14:28 - (SA)
Johannesburg - Thanda Royal Zulu need a point to avoid playing in the relegation/promotion playoffs when they host already relegated Jomo Cosmos in their final Absa Premiership match of the season at the Mpumalaga Stadium in Hammersdale, Durban on Sunday. Kick-off is at 15:00.
Cosmos were relegated when they were beaten 2-0 by fellow relegation candidates, Black Leopards, at Orkney's Oppenheimer Stadium on Wednesday.
Ezenkosi, who have scored only 13 goals all season, will finish bottom of the Premiership and play in the National First Division next season.
The side finishing 15th in the 16 team league go into the playoffs which will be finalised after the outcome of FC AK's appeal against their demotion to the Vodacom League, after club boss Aziz Kara, was found guilty by the Premier Soccer League disciplinary committee of trying to bribe a player to throw a match.
FC AK won the NFD Inland Stream. The appeal will be heard on Monday after which the PSL will announce the format for the playoffs.
TRZ need to take a point off a dispirited Cosmos side who are not likely to put up a lot of resistance to ensure their PSL survival.
Relegation battle
TRZ have 28 points and Leopards have 26. Leopards host Kaizer Chiefs at Thohoyandou in their final game of the season, but have accepted the fact they will be the favourites to feature in the playoffs.
Former Mamelodi Sundowns coach Gordon Igesund, who was brought on board by TRZ coach Roger Palmgren as a technical advisor for the relegation battle, reckons TRZ will survive.
Igesund was upbeat after watching his charges beat BidVest Wits 3-2 on Wednesday, thanks to a hat-trick by Serge Djiehoua - the last goal came in the dying seconds.
Said Igesund; "I reckon TRZ will make it. I was honoured by being asked to help them. I accepted because they are a really nice bunch of people running the club and deserve to be in the PSL next season.
"For us to sink to the playoffs would mean we will have to draw against Cosmos - a game which I believe we will win - and Leopards would have to beat Chiefs by 3-0 to pip us on goal difference.
"At the end of the day I reckon Leopards will go into the playoffs."
Leopards manager, Chief Thidiela, agreed: "Our priority was to get clear of outright relegation. We will accept playing in the playoffs as at least our fate will be in our hands and we have another chance of survival.
"Believe me, Chiefs are not guaranteed a win against us. We have taken 11 points out of our last 15 possible points and the side is playing well. The spirit is better than it has been since the start of the season and we aim to beat Chiefs.
"But we will have no complaints if we have to fight for our PSL survival in the playoffs - that is far better than being relegated outright."
- SAPA
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