CITY Lads’ FC, one of the Eastern Cape teams in the Hollywoodbets Super League, has slightly improved their chances of staying far from the relegation zone when they played to an entertaining 0–0 draw away, against fourth-place JVW FC on Saturday.
Both sides went to this league fixture aiming for maximum points, as JVW FC wanted to reduce the 13-point gap between them and log leaders, Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies.
Coach Tamsanqa “Shuuz” Klassen’s team, City Lads’ FC, were aiming at taking all three points so that they could climb the log standings from position 14 to 13. Instead they had to settle for one point after the draw.
That one point, however, has assisted the Gqeberha team in improving their points tally, and increased their chances of staying away from the danger of relegation.
Currently, City Lads’ FC occupy 14th with 14 points, after 19 games. They stand a good chance of avoiding relegation compared to the teams who are set below in the log.
Meanwhile, another EC team, Thunderbirds Ladies from Butterworth, will need a miracle to escape relegation in their 12 remaining fixtures as they remain rooted at the bottom of the log, with only three points and without a win this season.
Thunderbirds Ladies were not playing the past two weekends, and are expected to return to league action on August 11 when they host TS Galaxy Queens at home, in East London.
Coach Thembalethu Apleni’s team is expected to use the three-week break to address their challenges.
This is the first time since the Butterworth team joined the Hollywoodbets Super League four years ago that they are experiencing this kind of performance, where they have played 18 games without a win.
In previous seasons they used to win three or more matches during the first round of the season, to try to avoid relegation, but this season things are looking different and worse than those of last year, when they found themselves winning only five, drawing five games and losing 20 in order to survive relegation.
Coach Apleni and his technical team are expected to try their best to save the team from relegation.
Another EC team, the University of Fort Hare FC, will also return to league action on August 10, when they host Durban Ladies’ FC.
Currently, University of Fort Hare FC is the only EC team doing well in the Hollywoodbets Super League, as they occupy 11th, with 18 points after 17 games.
