Baroka FC live to fight another day following a 1-0 win over Ajax Cape Town at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday afternoon; to finish the 2016-17 Absa Premiership season in 15th place.
As a result, the Limpopo side will play in the PSL promotion-relegation play-offs as they attempt to keep their top-flight status intact.
Letladi Madubanya scored the only goal in a game that witnessed two red cards. The goal-scorer sent off in the second-half, with Roscoe Pietersen seeing red for the hosts before the break.
With so much at stake for both teams, it was no surprise that the game got off to a cagey start with neither side creating any clear-cut opportunities in the opening half-hour.
The first moment of controversy happened in the 41st minute as the referee sent Pietersen off following a foul on Victor Letsoalo. The match official left with little choice really but to brandish his red card.
0-0 at half-time.
The first chance of the second stanza fell to the Urban Warriors three minutes after the interval, but Ndiviwe Mdabuka failed to hit the target following a poor clearance from Oscarine Masuluke.
Madubanya broke the deadlock in the 51st minute as he headed home from a corner-kick, but hero soon turned villain as the midfielder saw red following a second bookable offence on the hour mark.
This sparked Ajax Cape Town into life with Thabo Mosadi seeing his shot straight at Masuluke before Prince Nxumalo failed to find the back of the net with the goal at his mercy. Baroka with a collective goal-line clearance to deny the forward in the 79th minute.
Lebohang Mokoena and Mosa Lebusa had further chances for Stanley Menzo’s troops, but it was not to be as the Cape side finish the campaign in 10th place on the log standings.
Ajax Cape Town (0) 0
Baroka FC (0) 1 (Madubanya 51′)
