Stellenbosch FC confirm title victory – and promotion

The final round of the 2018/19 National First Division season saw Steve Barker’s Stellenbosch FC confirm their title victory – and promotion to the Absa Premiership – with a 0-0 draw at home to Maccabi FC.

Stellies, due to their superior goal difference, realistically only needed a point to secure first spot and they did just that, though in the end they were three points clear of second-placed Royal Eagles, who lost 1-0 away to Ubuntu Cape Town.

A video speaks a thousand words... #stellenboschfc #sashp #sasperformance #choiceofchampions #proudlystellenbosch @the_nfd @OfficialPSL @StellMun @MyStellenbosch @sas_hp @MFM926Sport pic.twitter.com/eJ2zoTZHGO

— Stellenbosch FC (@StellenboschFC) May 5, 2019

However, the victory wasn’t enough for the Cape side to avoid relegation, as they finished second-from-bottom and joined Witbank Spurs (who were thrashed 4-0 at home by Jomo Cosmos) in the drop to the third tier.

Elsewhere Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila defeated Richards Bay 2-0 to join Eagles in the playoffs, where they will have a three-way battle for a place in next season’s Absa Premiership alongside the 15th-place finishers from the top flight (currently a position occupied by Black Leopards).

Ajax just missed out on the playoffs, finishing with the same points as TTM, but their 2-0 win at Mbombela United wasn’t enough to bridge the gap in goal difference.

The performance of the day came from Cape Umoya United, who annihilated Pretoria University 6-0 in Tshwane thanks in the main to a hat-trick from Gavin Hammers.

The promotion playoffs will begin on Tuesday 15 May.

NFD RESULTS 5 MAY

Sunday 5 May

Witbank Spurs 0-4 Jomo Cosmos
Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila 2-0 Richards Bay
Pretoria University 0-6 Cape Umoya United
Mbombela United 0-2 Ajax Cape Town
Uthongathi FC 0-0 TS Galaxy
Ubuntu Cape Town 1-0 Royal Eagles
TS Sporting 0-1 Real Kings
Stellenbosch 0-0 Maccabi FC