Black Leopards, Cosmos keen to book ticket to PSL

Black Leopards and Jomo Cosmos are keen to book their ticket to the lucrative ABSA Premiership next season.

The two former top flight clubs qualified for the promotion play-offs last Sunday. They will be joined by the team that finishes 15th on the ABSA Premiership log.

The play-offs kick-off next Wednesday.

As the 2017-2018 season is nearing the end, the focus shifts to the promotion-relegation play-offs.

The ABSA Premiership and National First Division champions have already been confirmed.

Jomo Cosmos made wholesale changes for their last match of the season away to Black Leopards.

Ezenkosi had already qualified for the play-offs while Leopards were in search of maximum points to book their place in the three-team mini-league.

Leopards won the match 3-0.

Black Leopards coach Joel Masutha says: “This is a big achievement, especially for the boys, looking where we come from. When we started the second round we were number 12 now we are finishing the league at number two, so they gave their all. And i believe we are going to do well also in the playoffs because that is the main goal.”

Jomo Cosmos coach Jomo Sono says: “Good luck to them for getting to the play-offs. We will see them on the 16th…we will meet them again.”

Highlands Park, under the stewardship of Owen da Gama, will be promoted automatically.

They collected 69 points from their 30 matches to finish top of the NFD log.

Highlands Park coach Owen Da Gama says: “I’ve coached in the Premier League before, I signed this young man here many years ago from Highlanders. Winning must be a habit. We’ve been playing friendlies, hammering teams, in the league as well. Since we started back in September, we never lost a single game. All credit must go to the players.”

It is still not clear who will join Ezenkosi and Lidoda Duvha in the promotion/relegation play-offs.

The last round of ABSA Premiership matches will be played this Saturday and all the matches will kick-off at 3PM.

One of these four clubs — Baroka FC, Polokwane City, Supersport United and Ajax Cape Town — will be in the play-offs come next Wednesday.

Only three points separate 15th placed Ajax and Baroka who are 12th on the log.