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| Swallows will be looking to defend the crown they won in 2017 by beating Lerotholi Polytechnic in the final... |
Econet Premier
League bound Swallows will begin their A-Division Top 8 title defence against
Ketane when the first division showpiece roars into life next weekend.
The Swallows-Ketane
tie is one of four quarterfinals that were decided during Friday’s draw at Bambatha
Tšita Sports Arena where all the last eight games will take place next weekend.
The A-Division
Top 8 is contested at the end of every season by the top four finishers in the first
division’s North and South Streams. This year the action will kick-off next
Saturday with a mouth-watering tie between North champions Galaxy and South runners-up
Lithabaneng Golden.
Galaxy, who
won the A-Division Top 8 in 2016, are headed to the Econet Premiership and are seeking
a rare first division trophy double while Lithabaneng Golden are looking to win
the club’s first major piece of silverware.
The second quarterfinal
next Saturday will see Manonyane (fourth in the South Stream) face Litšilo who
finished third in the North.
On Sunday, proceedings
will be started by Lifofane (fourth in the North) taking on Lijabatho (third in
South Stream).
The final
quarterfinal of the weekend is probably the most interesting with A-Division
South Stream champions Swallows – who beat Lerotholi Polytechnic in last year’s
final – facing North runners up Ketane.
Maswai-swai have been
celebrating their return to the top-flight for the first time since 2011 all
week but Butha-Buthe’s Ketane surprised all and sundry this season by coming within
a whisker of winning automatic promotion to the top-flight.
Friday’s draw also
confirmed there will be an A-Division Champion of Champions clash between
Swallows and Galaxy after the Top 8 tournament to officially bring the curtain down
on the first division season.
The respective
runners-up of the North and South Stream, Ketane and Lithabaneng Golden, will
then contest the first-ever Econet Premier League promotion playoffs against
the 12th placed finisher from the top-flight.
The playoffs
will be contested using a round robin league format.
A-Division Top 8 Draw:
(All matches
at Bambatha Tšita Sports Arena)
Saturday
Lithabaneng v
Galaxy (13:00)
Manonyane v Litšilo
(15:00)
Sunday
Lifofane v
Lijabatho (13:00)
Ketane v
Swallows (15:00)
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