A 3-1 defeat to Bidvest Wits sealed the fate of Polokwane City, who were relegated from the first tier of the PSL after finishing last in the standings.
Rise and Shine came into the fixture with an uphill climb facing them, as they needed an eight-goal winning margin over an equally determined side.
The end of the road
FNB Stadium was the scene of what turned out to be a farewell match for both City and Wits, with the latter set to be replaced by Tshakuma Tsha Mandivhadzila (TTM). This is after the Clever Boys’ PSL status was sold to the owners of TTM.
It proved to be a bitter goodbye for one side while, for the other, consolation for bowing out just a year short of a century.
Cameroonian striker Bienvenu Eva Nga opened the scoring just before the break, while at the other side of the restart Mpho Mvelase equalised for Rise and Shine.
Just past the hour mark, Cole Alexander bagged his third for the season to put Wits back in front, and the result was sealed by Pathutshedzo Nange, who netted in injury time to put the outcome beyond doubt.
Polokwane City PSL record
Polokwane City first emerged in the top tier of the PSL in 2013 after being promoted from the first division.
The club barely survived their first season in the big time, finishing 15th in the regular season. They took part in the promotion/relegation playoffs, where Boebie Solomons guided them to victory to retain their spot in the premiership.
They finished 12th and 13th in the next two campaigns, before recording a respectable finish in the 2016/17 campaign in sixth place, above the likes of Ajax Cape Town and Orlando Pirates.
The next season was another one of disappointment, as they were back to the bottom half of the table, but would manage to better their effort from 2017, landing in fifth place.
That was as good as it got in their run in the top flight, with relegation befalling them in the very next season.
