There is a huge battle looming at the foot of the DStv Premiership table with five sides locked in a relegation scrap going into the final four rounds of the season.
The first aim for all will be to avoid bottom place, which ensures automatic relegation, but the 15th position means having to endure the play-offs, which have seen plenty of topflight sides slip-up in the past.
Supersport.com looks at who is in the mix and fighting for their lives.
Baroka FC
Position: 16th
Games Remaining: four
Points: 18
Baroka FC have been involved in some scrapes with relegation in the recent past but this looks like their most serious fight for survival. They have been cut five points adrift in the automatic relegation place, and their form so dire it is hard to see a way out of the predicament they are in, The club sent coach Kgoloko Thobejane back to the DStv Diski Challenge side and have replaced him with Vincent Kobola, but it looks like mission impossible. Baroka have home games with Lamontville Golden Arrows and SuperSport United, and are away at Chippa United and Maritzburg United. The last two will give them a sliver of hope on that they are against teams also in the relegation battle, but it seems likely their six-year stay in the top flight is over.
TS Galaxy
Position: 15th
Games Remaining: four
Points: 23
Galaxy have only lost one of their last five games, but three draws in that time mean they have been unable to pull away from the bottom two. They are certainly an improved side from the one that started the season, and the fact they have only conceded a single goal in their last three DStv Premiership matches shows they are organised, but it is the battle to score goals that has them in the predicament they are in. They have scored just six in their last 12 games, and now face a difficult run-in that includes Orlando Pirates (home), Cape Town City (away), Marumo Gallants (home) and Chippa United (away). That final game could be decisive.
Swallows FC
Position: 14th
Games Remaining: four
Points: 23
Swallows are only outside the relegation play-off position on goal-difference and will hope to build on their crucial 3-2 victory over Baroka last time out, where they rallied from two goals down to snatch the points. Coach Dylan Kerr has steadied them somewhat after they had been in freefall prior to his arrival, but they have still only won four of their 26 games, the lowest number in the division. By contrast, they have lost (11) the fewest number of games among the bottom four, so it is about turning draws into wins in the final weeks of the campaign. They are unbeaten in their last three (W1 D2), but also face a very challenging run-in. They have home games against AmaZulu and Chippa United, and are away at SuperSport United and Kaizer Chiefs, the latter on the final day of the campaign. Kerr was in charge of Baroka FC when they denied Chiefs the league title in the last game of the 2019-20 season.
Maritzburg United
Position: 13th
Games Remaining: four
Points: 24
Maritzburg have just about managed to keep themselves out of the drop-zone this season, but now sit just a point above them after a run of just two wins in their last 19 (D8 L9) matches – relegation form to say the least.
Their 28 goals conceded in 26 games is the fewest among the bottom five, but they have battled up front with just 18 goals scored. Only Baroka FC (16) have managed fewer. They do have the best goal-difference (-10) among the bottom five.
But they are an enigma – they defeated Mamelodi Sundowns 2-1 on March 5, but since then have gone five games without a win (D3 L2).
They host Royal AM next up, before away matches at Stellenbosch FC and Orlando Pirates. They finish their season at home to Baroka FC. They will do well to get anything from those first three.
Chippa United
Position: 12th
Games Remaining: four
Points: 26
You would think Chippa are not in danger of falling into the automatic relegation place, so the question is whether they can avoid the play-offs.
They have three homes games remaining, which would usually be a massive boost, but they have only won once in 12 games on their own patch this campaign and have actually seen 16 of their 26 points come on the road.
Their destiny is very much in their own hands though as they play all the teams around them – Baroka FC (home), Swallows FC (away) and TS Galaxy (home).
Their run of four final fixtures does start with a much harder home clash against Cape Town City next up though.
They have just a single defeat in their last six games (W2 D3) and rookie coach Kurt Lentjies appears to have found the right formula to make them competitive. They should survive.