The heat has been turned up at the SAFA 2025/26 ABC Motsepe League National Playoffs, with day two delivering goals, and the tournament’s first casualty in Mpheni Defenders.
Following a thrilling day one at the Mthatha Stadium in the Eastern Cape, Wednesday’s action saw Limpopo’s Mpheni Defenders‘ promotional dream come to an abrupt end.
In the opening match of the day, host sub-region representatives FC Ravens [Eastern Cape] breathed new life into their campaign with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Free State’s Mangaung Unite in Group B.
It was a crucial redemption for Ravens. They had suffered a disappointing 3-1 defeat to Western Cape’s Sea Point Swift [Hope FC] on Tuesday.
This vital victory moves the Eastern Cape hosts to three points. Their fate and hopes of progressing to the semi-finals now heavily depend on Thursday’s Group B outcomes.
LUTHULI BRIGADES TAKE CHARGE OF GROUP A
The afternoon kickoff saw Mpumalanga’s Luthuli Brigades secure a 2-1 victory over Gauteng’s La Masia.
The Brigades, who played out to a tactical 0-0 stalemate against the University of North West on Day 1, showed immense character to collect maximum points against the Gauteng champions.
The win sees the Mpumalanga side to the top of Group A. They have collected four points from two matches. This puts them in a commanding position for a semi-final berth.
MPHENI DEFENDERS KNOCKED OUT AFTER MKHAMBATHI DEFEAT
The final fixture of the day brought heartbreak for Limpopo’s Mpheni Defenders. They became the first team to be officially eliminated from the competition.
Mpheni Defenders suffered a devastating 2-0 loss at the hands of KwaZulu-Natal’s Mkhambathi FC in a high-stakes Group C clash.
Having already succumbed to a 2-0 defeat against Northern Cape’s NC Professionals on the opening day, back-to-back losses mean the Limpopo outfit will be packing their bags early. This leaves things in Group C between Mkhambathi and NC Professionals.
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