Magesi banking on home advantage for survival

After 29 games played, Magesi find themselves at the bottom of the log with just 21 points, having won only four wins this season and all recorded at home. 

Under Freese, the team won two matches, and these were big scorelines, a 3-0 victory against Siwelele and the biggest win, a 5-2 thrashing of Durban City, both wins recorded in April 2026. 

With Richards Bay not standing any chance of making the top eight, even with a victory on Saturday, this is an advantage Freese and his Magesi team would be looking to take advantage of. 

“Expectation, we are playing at home, what is expected is a good result at home. That’s it, there’s no other thing, and that’s the way it is, go back home, give it our best, and the positive result is expected at home,” the mission is simple for Freese and his troops. 

“Dikwena Tsa Meetse” also need favours, to avoid the big drop, they will need Orlando Pirates to beat Orbit College at Mbombela stadium, a result that would keep the Rustenburg side on 24 points and do further damage to their goal difference. Orbit currently have the worst defensive record in the league, having conceded 45 goals and scored only 21 to leave them with a -24 goal difference. 

Magesi have drawn six matches and lost nine on the road, with only five goals scored and 20 conceded. 

They only produced one shot on target in Bloemfontein this past weekend, a stat Freese knows reflects the state of his team. 

“Yes, but when we prepared but when we prepared, we also prepared to score goals and defend well. We also prepared to defend the set pieces, but this is where we let ourselves down today, the struggle to defend set-plays,” says Freese, highlighting their big challenges. 

READ: Gavin Hunt says Stellies blew their top eight chances

The word is clear for the Limpopo side, win your home game and hope Pirates, who also need a win to clinch their first league title in 15 years, play their part in Mpumalanga. 

But that could also not guarantee total survival, but at least a spot in the relegation play-offs. 

Another team in the relegation quagmire is Marumo Gallants, who host Stellenbosch FC at home, but it will take a big win for Magesi and a loss for them to be drawn into at least a play-off finish. 

With 25 points, Chippa United are slightly safer ahead of their final away match at the Moses Mabhida stadium against Kaizer Chiefs, they could depend on the Pirates’ win in Mbombela to take them out of the bottom again.