Latest news with #LetsieKoapeng
IOL News
6 days ago
- Sport
- IOL News
Orbit College deserve historic PSL promotion, says delighted coach Makhoye
Letsie Koapeng (left) runs to celebrate with Orbit College coach Pogiso Makhoye after scoring against Cape Town City on Wednesday. Photo: BackpagePix Image: BackpagePix Orbit College have completed a fairy-tale run by winning the Premier Soccer League Promotional Playoffs, earning a well-deserved spot in South Africa's top-flight Premiership next season. After narrowly missing out on automatic promotion in the Motsepe Foundation Championship (MFC) – finishing just five points behind league winners Durban City – the Rustenburg-based side made the most of their second chance in the playoffs, showing remarkable consistency and composure under pressure. Their playoff path was anything but easy. Orbit were pitted against the vastly experienced Cape Town City and a battle-hardened Casric Stars side – both accustomed to the rigours of high-stakes football. Yet despite the odds stacked against them, they relied on their strong campaign momentum and superior tactical discipline to outlast their opponents in what was essentially a sprint to the finish. Their journey was a continuation of an impressive upward trajectory after finishing ninth the previous season. Armed with a renewed sense of belief and a refreshed squad, the Mswenko Boys approached the playoffs with confidence and clear strategy, which paid off as they managed to hurdle their challenges and punch their ticket to top-tier football. An emotional Pogiso Makhoye, Orbit's long-serving coach, could barely hold back his joy after the team's final match. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ 'It was very difficult,' he said. 'I couldn't be with the team for the first two matches of the season because I was sick. After we drew against Durban City, I didn't think we would make it.' But Makhoye's faith never wavered. The coach, who has been at the team for over 15 years, pointed to the club's smart recruitment strategy as the catalyst for their transformation. 'The signings of Letsie Koapeng (who scored the decisive goal against Cape Town City on Wednesday), Tshepo Matsemela and Given Thibedi brought experience into the squad. We were the second-best team in the MFC, and we deserved to be here,' he continued. 'We deserved to be here, and we took Durban City toe-to-toe until the last game, and we knew that this was our moment, and we needed to promote this team.' Their promotion marks a significant moment not just for Orbit, but for the entire North West province. The club becomes the first team from the region to feature in the PSL since Platinum Stars' relegation in the 2017/18 season, bringing top-flight football back to the province after a long hiatus.
IOL News
7 days ago
- Sport
- IOL News
From consistency to collapse: Cape Town City's slide into the lower division
Cape Town City's Jaedin Rhodes can't hide his emotions after the club was relegated from the Betway Premiership this past week. Photo: BackpagePix Image: Backpagepix Cape Town City's first significant collapse in over a decade has come at a heavy cost, as they are now headed for life in the NFD Motsepe Foundation Championship next season after failing to navigate the PSL Promotional Playoffs with a 1-0 loss against Orbit College on Wednesday. The Cape outfit lost what turned into a must-win clash, following Orbit's crucial 1-0 triumph over Casric Stars in their penultimate outing — a result that placed the North West side firmly in command of the mini-league. Despite their determined efforts to keep their Premiership status alive, City never looked like a team that had truly recovered from a troubled 2024/25 campaign. And once Letsie Koapeng slotted in a decisive second-half strike, it sealed their relegation fate and brought an abrupt close to a proud era for a club long known for its reliability and top-flight consistency. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ It's a bitter pill to swallow for a team that hadn't missed a Top 8 finish since the 2014/15 season and had regularly pushed into the Top 5. But after navigating years of relative stability, their first truly turbulent season has left them staring at a long road back to the top. Head coach Diego Peral lamented his side's missed opportunities throughout a challenging campaign, as they bowed out with a defeat that confirmed their drop with one match to play against Casric on Saturday. 'We had chances and we didn't score, so this is what happens,' Peral said, in the aftermath. 'It's not the first time this season. It is what it is. What can we do? The chances were there, we had many opportunities to win the game, to take the lead, but we didn't. 'For Saturday's match, we needed that goal — and we just didn't get it. 'It's a horrible situation to be in. We've been here since the start of the season. We had so many chances to fix it, and we didn't. You look at the guys who've been here since day one, and it's sad. 'It is what it is. We have to pick ourselves up and start again.' City's downfall had been building from the outset of the season, as they uncharacteristically stumbled out of the blocks and never truly recovered from their sluggish start — a stark contrast to last season's fifth-place finish.
TimesLIVE
25-06-2025
- Sport
- TimesLIVE
Orbit College graduate to Premiership and relegate Cape Town City
Orbit College will play in the Betway Premiership next season football after securing promotion with their 1-0 playoffs win over Cape Town City at Olympia Park in Rustenburg on Wednesday. In the process, the Citizens were relegated to the Motsepe Foundation Championship (MFC), unable to retain their status in the promotion-relegation playoffs after finishing 15th in the 2024-25 Premiership. There were tears of joy after the final whistle for Orbit as they joined Durban City as the two teams from the MFC to be promoted to the Premiership to play top-flight football. Letsie Koapeng netted the only goal of the match two minutes after the break. Orbit finished the playoff mini-league with eight points after two wins and two draws. Olympia Park erupts 🥳🎉 Letsie Koapeng puts Orbit College within touching distance of #BetwayPrem promotion 👀 📺 Stream on DStv: — SuperSport Football ⚽️ (@SSFootball) June 25, 2025 Orbit came into the fixture leading both City and Casric Stars by three points after their 1-0 win against Casric in Mbombela last week and knew a win would be enough to seal promotion. Orbit coach Pogiso Makhoye was full of praise for his players and said they knew this was their moment this season after they went toe-to-toe with Durban City in the MFC. 'It was difficult, I didn't prepare the team for the first two games as I was sick,' Makhoye told SuperSport TV after the game. 'I would like to thank Mpumi and Nkosana [PSL chair and Orlando Pirates owner Irvin Khoza's children] for guiding me. Those are my mentors and congratulations to them, and I'm very proud of myself because they believed in me to say, 'One day you will make history'. Tshepo 'Jomo' Matsemela is back in the big time 🤩🙌 Look at what promotion means to the Orbit College players 👇 #SSDiski | #BetwayPrem — SuperSport Football ⚽️ (@SSFootball) June 25, 2025 'We deserve to be here because we were the second-best team in the MFC. We took Durban City toe-to-toe to the last day and we knew that this was our moment we needed to promote this team. 'And thanks to the people of Bokone Bophirima [the North West] — they were starving for [Premiership] football. 'I wanted to create a legacy even when I started with this club. It was a college team and I said one day I needed to promote it to MFC and then take it to the Premiership. And I'm happy I have delivered that to the North West people.' City interim coach Diogo Peral was disappointed with the result. 'What can we do? We had a lot of chances to put them away and we didn't do it,' he said.
The Citizen
25-06-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Orbit fly past City to seal Betway Premiership spot
Letsie Koapeng's goal is enough to send the North West side into dreamland. Letsie Koapeng (centre) scored the goal that took Orbit FC to the Betway Premiership. Picture: Ryan Wilkisky/BackpagePix Orbit College will play in the Betway Premiership for the first time next season after sealing victory in the play-offs on Wednesday with a 1-0 win at home to Cape Town City. ALSO READ: Chiefs sign new midfielder Chislett – reports Experienced striker Letsie Koapeng got the all important goal in front of a healthy crowd at Olympia Park in Rustenburg. The result means Orbit have an unassailable six point lead in the play-off standings. North West are back! Orbit's promotion also puts a team from the North West in the Premiership for the first time since Platinum Stars were relegated in 2018. Cape Town City, meanwhile, suffer the ignominy of relegation to the Motsepe Foundation Championship. For a side that had never previously finished outside the top eight since being formed in 2016, this season has been an unmitigated disaster. A dull first half saw Orbit create most of the opportunities without really troubling Cape Town City goalkeeper Darren Keet. A shot from Gomolemo Khoto was superbly blocked by City defender Nathan Fasika, while Koapeng's shot was comfortably stopped by Keet. At the other end, Haashim Domingo's effort was easily gathered by Lesotho and Orbit goalkeeper Sekhoane Moerane The game livened up after the break, and City came close in the 46th minute. Jayden Rhodes found Prins Tijueza inside the box, but the Namibian, under pressure from Moerane, couldn't hit the target. ALSO READ: Chelsea sign SA youngster Schaper Orbit strike And City were made to pay as Orbit struck in the 48th minute, Khoto gathered the ball on the right and easily beat Thamsanqa Mkhize. His low cross found Koapeng, who drilled a finish past Keet. City brought on young talent Emile Witbooi as they searched for an equaliser. Domingo had another good chance in the 63rd minute but he blazed over the bar from inside the area. And the game was up for City as Mkhize headed over the bar in stoppage time, sparking scenes of wild celebration in Rustenburg.
IOL News
25-06-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Cape Town City relegated as Orbit College complete fairy-tale rise to Premiership
Letsie Koapeng (left) runs to celebrate with Orbit College coach Pogiso Makhoye after scoring against Cape Town City on Wednesday. Photo: BackpagePix Image: BackpagePix Orbit College have made history and booked their place in next season's Betway Premiership after defying the odds to defeat Cape Town City 1-0 in a tense PSL Promotional Playoff clash at Olympia Park Stadium in Rustenburg on Wednesday. The triumph took the North West-based team to an unreachable tally of eight points from four fixtures, leaving both City and Casric Stars with only one game remaining, set for Saturday. City entered the clash with two matches still to be played, but were fully aware that anything short of a result would leave them in danger, especially after Orbit had seized control of the group with a dramatic late win over Casric the previous weekend. This was Orbits maiden appearance in the PSL Promotional Playoffs—a historic moment for the club. They had narrowly missed out on automatic promotion earlier in the season finishing second after Durban City, but they arrived in Rustenburg determined to make their mark. The opening half reflected the weight of the occasion. With easily the most vibrant crowd of the entire mini tournament behind them, the atmosphere around the home side was electric, urging every attack forward with passionate energy. Orbit began brighter between the two teams, dictating early possession and pushing into the final third, but despite finding space in wide areas, they couldn't convert their half-chances into anything substantial and failed to register a clear goal-scoring opportunity before the interval. City came out of the break looking sharper. Jaedin Rhodes stood out with a moment of brilliance, twisting away from his marker and playing a delightful ball through to Prins Tjiueza, who found himself one-on-one with Orbit's goalkeeper Sekhoane Moerane—only to be denied by the shot-stopper's bravery and sharp reflexes. They would soon be made to pay though,as from that resulting play, Moerane's goal kick found Gomolemo Khoto who despite having plenty to do caught City napping with his pinpoint cross locating Letsie Koapeng who's expert finish in the 48th minute not only to send the packed Olympia Park crowd into a frenzy but hit City into reality as their Premiership status slipped through their grasp. With the pressure mounting, City were left chasing the game and desperately needing a response. Coach Diego Peral reacted swiftly to going behind, ringing in substitutions to inject fresh legs and urgency into their play. Their intentions were unmistakable: to go for the equalizer while Orbit tightened up defensively. However, the breakthrough never came. The Cape side's attacking play lacked imagination and cutting edge, a flaw that had plagued them throughout the mini tournament and their Premiership campaign. That continued inability to unlock defences ultimately sealed their fate, and with this defeat, they will now prepare to compete in the lower division next season.
