The Limpopo football fraternity has suffered yet another setback following the confirmation of Magesi FC’s relegation to the Motsepe Foundation Championship, South Africa’s second-tier football division.
This comes after the Moletji-based outfit, located outside Polokwane, failed to win their final Betway Premiership Promotion/Relegation Play-Off match, settling for a 1-1 draw against Milford FC at Seshego Stadium on Saturday, June 13.
Dikwena Tsa Meetse, as the Limpopo side are affectionately known, entered the match occupying second position on the mini-league standings with four points, while Milford sat at the summit with six points. Magesi needed nothing less than victory to secure their place in the top flight.
Both sides started the match brightly, but it was Magesi who gradually took control as they searched for an early breakthrough. Mcedi Vandala came close to opening the scoring in the 10th minute after connecting with a well-worked move, but his effort went off target.
Two minutes later, Sifiso Hlanti squandered another opportunity when he shot straight at the Milford goalkeeper.
Magesi’s persistence paid off in the 14th minute when Edmore Chirambadare slotted the ball into the far-right corner, beating the Milford goalkeeper to give the hosts a deserved lead.
Buoyed by the goal, Magesi continued to push forward in search of a second. Vandala beat the offside trap in the 22nd minute, but his dangerous cross found no teammate inside the box. Two minutes later, Chirambadare came agonisingly close to doubling the lead, only to see his effort strike the crossbar with the goalkeeper well beaten after another excellent pass from Vandala.
Sensing danger, the KwaZulu-Natal side mounted a strong response and forced Magesi’s defence onto the back foot. Milford found the back of the net twice through Siphosethu Ndlabi in the 28th and 34th minutes, but both goals were ruled out for offside.
In the first incident, Ndlabi took advantage of a lapse in concentration from the Magesi defence and beat Elvis Chipezeze with an acrobatic bicycle kick, only for the assistant referee’s flag to deny him.
Milford were later awarded a penalty after a reckless challenge inside the box, but their misfortune continued when Cheswyn Philander’s spot-kick struck the crossbar.
The visitors returned strongly after the break and were eventually rewarded in the 58th minute. Philander levelled matters with a powerful strike that beat Chipezeze after Magesi defenders failed to clear their lines inside their own half.
Despite both teams creating chances in the closing stages, neither side could find a winner. The final whistle confirmed Magesi FC’s relegation, while Milford celebrated a hard-fought promotion to South Africa’s top flight.
The result marks a disappointing end to Magesi’s campaign and leaves Limpopo without another representative in the Betway Premiership next season. For Milford, however, the draw was enough to secure a historic promotion and a place among South African football’s elite clubs.
