IT WILL be do or die for the bottom teams in the National First Division when the second round kicks off next month.
Magesi FC, Santos, Cape Town All Stars, Milano United and FC Cape Town are all early candidates for relegation in the NFD and will be fighting for their lives when the second round resumes.
These teams are in position 16, 15, 14, 13 and 12 respectively and will need to sign players before the transfer window closes at the end of the month if they want to change their situation.
In the first round these teams were all poor defensively, which saw them conceding many goals while also struggling to score.
The second round is their last chance to fight for their place in the league, but it’s not going to be easy. The top teams will want to emulate log leaders Thanda Royal Zulu.
The two teams that finish 15th and 16th will be relegated to the ABC Motsepe League.
Rookies Magesi, who are at the bottom of the table, have already started signing players for the remaining 15 fixtures.
Magesi coach Shepherd Murape confirmed that they added six new players to the team who are already training with them.
He told SunSport: “The main problem in the first round was converting our chances. So we signed three strikers, Joseph Lekata, Themba Nevhulamba and Sifiso Silime.
“The others signings are goalkeeper Azwindini Maphaha, defender Thabo Mokgalushi and former Polokwane City midfielder Alfred Langa.
“I believe these players will play a major role in helping us climb the ladder in the second round,” said the coach.
Former Absa Premiership champions Santos are in 15th place with 11 points, the same number as Magesi. They also currently face relegation at the end of this season. Santos would then be following in the footsteps of former giants Moroka Swallows, who were relegated last season.
Santos have struggled in the NFD in the last two seasons. They finished 13th in the 2014-15 season with 36 points and fared only a little better last season, finishing 11th with 31 points.
