Pretoria University have risen to the top of the GladAfrica Championship standings after claiming a clutch win over former leaders Richards Bay in the key result of a midweek round of matches on Tuesday 12 and Wednesday 13 April.
AmaTuks leapfrogged the Natal Rich Boyz thanks to a 1-0 win at the Tuks Stadium in Tshwane on Wednesday, with Kamohelo Pheeane striking in injury time at the end of the game to see his side top the log on 45 points, with Richards Bay second on 43 points.
JDR Stars (40), Cape Town All Stars (40) and Venda Football Academy (39) round out the top five that are in the promotion mix with five rounds of the 2021-22 season remaining.
Wednesday also saw Hungry Lions and Pretoria Callies play out a goalless stalemate at GWK Park (in a match which was postponed from Tuesday due to waterlogged pitch), while Platinum City Rovers and Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila drew 2-2 at Olen Park in Potchefstroom.
The round opened on Tuesday afternoon as Cape Town All Stars kept up their push to earn a shot at promotion with a come-from-behind 2-1 win at home to Polokwane City at Athlone Stadium; Black Leopards boosted their survival hopes with a 2-1 away to bottom-of-the-log TS Sporting at Kabokweni Stadium; and Jomo Cosmos remain in the red zone after succumbing 2-0 at Goble Park to hosts Free State Stars.
Tuesday also saw Venda Football Academy and Cape Town Spurs play to a 1-1 draw at Thohoyandou Stadium, with Chumani Butsaka putting the visitors ahead in the first half, before a response from the hosts’ Kgothatso Mariba.
The GAC will continue this coming weekend, 15-17 April, with a full round of fixtures across South Africa, headlined by Pretoria University and Richards Bay visiting Cape Town All Stars and Platinum City Rovers respectively.
GAC MIDWEEK RESULTS
Tuesday 12 April
Cape Town All Stars 2-1 Polokwane City
Venda Football Academy 1-1 Cape Town Spurs
Free State Stars 2-0 Jomo Cosmos
TS Sporting 2-1 Black Leopards
Wednesday 13 April
University of Pretoria 1-0 Richards Bay (Tuks Stadium)
Platinum City Rovers 2-2 Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila
Hungry Lions 0-0 Pretoria Callies