Richards Bay retain Premiership status by crushing Baroka's hopes of a return

Richards Bay retained their DStv Premiership status after hammering Baroka 4-0 in Durban on Wednesday in the final Premier Soccer League (PSL) promotion/relegation play-off.

The home side needed just one point to top the three-club mini-league that included second-tier teams Baroka and the University of Pretoria, but convincingly collected three.

Baroka's quest to rejoin the Premiership, after being relegated to the National First Division in 2022, ended in disappointment.

They needed to win by at least two goals to move from last place to the top of the playoff table.

However, their hopes dimmed early on as they missed a crucial scoring opportunity and then conceded two goals late in the first half, making their return to the top flight unattainable.

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Somila Ntsundwana and Sanele Barns, in his final match before joining fellow Premiership outfit Stellenbosch, were the scorers.

Ntsundwana then claimed the goal of the match on 62 minutes, racing almost half the length of the pitch before firing past goalkeeper Katlego Molefe.

Lwandile Mabuya completed the scoring five minutes from time.

Bay's 2023-24 DStv Premiership campaign ended with them teetering on the brink, finishing second from bottom in 15th place.

This precarious position thrust them into a high-stakes playoff showdown against the University of Pretoria and Baroka.With their top-flight status hanging by a thread, Richards Bay delivered a gritty and determined performance.

They emerged unbeaten from the four playoff matches, amassing eight crucial points.

The Natal