Black Leopards maintained their perfect record in the PSL promotion playoffs to retain their spot in the PSL top flight.
Lidoda Duvha finished 15th in South Africa’s top tier league, meaning they had to slug it out against the top two from the first division.
Black Leopards survive
Having dispatched of provincial rivals Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila (TTM) and the Urban Warriors in the previous legs, they completed the double over the men from the Mother City.
It took just 14 minutes for Leopards to get in front at the Rand Stadium with Isaac Masia finding the breakthrough after heading in from a set-piece.
The men from Thohoyandou carried their slim lead throughout the bulk of the encounter, with Ajax’ numerous at the equaliser proving futile.
Dale Wakefield came close to drawing level, but his shot after being set up by Grant Margeman was off target.
King Ndlovu, who was one of the standout goalkeepers in the bubble, continued his terrific form as he denied Chumani Butsaka before doing the same to Khanya Mfecane early in the second half.
The result would be put beyond doubt by Mwape Musonda, whose purple patch continued when he finished off a perfect counter-attack in the 79th minute.
It meant that Leopards survive another season in the top division of the PSL, after an unassailable three-point lead over Ajax, who have no fixtures remaining the top flight.
The next match in the playoffs is between Lidoda Duvha and TTM on Monday. Friday afternoon’s result has rendered the encounter a dead-rubber clash, with the Thohoyandou side in no danger of being usurped at the top of the standings.
How the PSL will look next season
Here are the clubs that will compete in the PSL top flight in the 2020/21 season.
- AmaZulu
- Baroka
- Black Leopards
- Bloemfontein Celtic
- Cape Town City
- Chippa United
- Golden Arrows
- Kaizer Chiefs
- Mamelodi Sundowns
- Maritzburg United
- Moroka Swallows
- Orlando Pirates
- Stellenbosch
- Supersport United
- TS Galaxy
- TTM
