Cape Town City are fighting to maintain their Betway Premiership status with their season officially concluding on Saturday, while other clubs that are also battling relegation won't complete their fixtures until next Wednesday.
This scheduling disparity has drawn sharp criticism from Cape Town City CEO and owner John Comitis, who believes the league could have arranged the remaining fixtures more equitably, ensuring all teams play their final games simultaneously.
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In an exclusive interview with Soccer Laduma, Comitis expressed his frustration with the current situation.
"It's strictly not fair play. We could let the Magesi FC and Golden Arrows two games happen this weekend and play this weekends games next Wednesday. That would be the fairest outcome. But as things stand now it's not fair at all. There is no fair play," Comitis told Soccer Laduma.
Cape Town City face local rivals Stellenbosch FC in their season finale on Saturday afternoon. Stellenbosch have their own ambitions, battling to secure third place and qualify for the CAF Confederation Cup. Meanwhile, the other teams locked in the relegation struggle will only conclude their campaigns next week.
The teams in danger of facing promotion/relegation playoffs include Magesi FC, who have played 26 games and accumulated 29 points. Golden Arrows have also played 26 matches but sit on 27 points, while SuperSport United have likewise completed 26 fixtures and are tied with Cape Town City on 26 points – though City have played one additional game.
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Comitis maintains that competitive integrity would have been better served if all teams fighting to avoid the playoffs had played an equal number of matches heading into their respective season finales.
This scheduling controversy adds another layer of tension to an already dramatic relegation battle. For Cape Town City, Saturday's match against Stellenbosch now carries heightened pressure, as they must secure a positive result without knowing the final outcomes of their relegation rivals' fixtures.
The situation highlights the challenges of maintaining competitive balance when rescheduling becomes necessary throughout a long season. Regardless of the scheduling concerns, City's players will need to focus solely on their performance this weekend, with their Premiership future potentially hanging in the balance.
