Orbit College take command of playoffs with win over Casric Stars

Orbit College staked a major claim for promotion to the Betway Premiership after taking control of the promotion/relegation playoffs with a 1-0 victory over Casric Stars at the Solomon Mahlangu Stadium on Saturday.

The win lifts the Rustenburg-based outfit to the top of the mini-league standings with five points from three matches, with one crucial clash remaining—a final-round encounter against Cape Town City.

In a match where they had to absorb sustained pressure for long periods, Pogiso Makhoye and his charges were disciplined and composed in defense, denying the home side any clear sight of goal.

Their resilience paid off when they capitalized on their only real opportunity of the game, courtesy of Siyabulela Mabele.

Heading into the encounter, Casric boasted a stronger head-to-head record, having secured three wins and two draws from their previous five meetings with Orbit.

As has been the case throughout the mini-tournament, goals remained elusive.

Supporters had to wait until the 80th minute for the game’s first real moment of attacking quality—a decisive strike from Mabele, whose deflected shot found its way through a congested Casric defense to hand Orbit the lead.

Earlier Casric had displayed plenty of attacking intent during a lively first half, but their efforts in the final third lacked composure.

Despite dominating possession and pushing forward, their inability to deliver the final pass meant they failed to create any meaningful chances.

Ten minutes into the second half, the home side's goalkeeper, Emile Tcheuko, nearly gifted Orbit a goal when his attempted flamboyant clearance fell straight to Lethabo Modimoeng.

The Orbit midfielder reacted swiftly and played through Mabele, but the latter couldn't adjust his feet quickly enough, allowing the Cameroonian shot-stopper to recover and rectify his mistake.

The second half unfolded much like the first—tightly contested midfield battles, little attacking rhythm, and rising tension on both benches.

With the game finely poised and the stakes high, every touch carried weight, and the atmosphere among the thousands in attendance was thick with anticipation.

In the end, it was the College side who forced the crucial error and made their only attempt on target count—breaking their hoodoo against the Mpumalanga outfit and netting what could prove to be a season-defining goal in the 2024/25 playoffs campaign.