Ali Meza gives Maritzburg relegation reprieve as they draw 1-1 against champions Sundowns

Maritzburg United may have done enough to survive relegation in their final match of the season when they drew 1-1 with champions Mamelodi Sundowns on Tuesday.

Ali Meza's 71st minute equaliser took Maritzburg's points tally to 30, one clear of Chippa United (16th placed) and Marumo Gallants (15th), who will both complete their season alongside other PSL clubs on Saturday. 

Maritzburg started the match at the bottom of the log with an inferior goal difference of -16 and finished with the same after Meza, a former Sundowns player, came off the bench to cancel Surprise Ralani's first-half strike and give Fadlu Davids' team what could be a lifeline to keep their DStv Premiership place.

The Sundowns/Maritzburg match was brought forward to Tuesday because the Brazilians will play the second leg of the Caf Champions League semifinal against holders Wydad Athletic of Morocco at Loftus on Saturday.

Chippa and Marumo must now win their last matches against Lamontville Golden Arrows and Swallows FC respectively on Saturday to avoid straight relegation.

A team finishing 15th in the PSL will have a chance to keep their status if they win in relegation/promotion playoffs against first-division runners-up Cape Town Spurs and Casric Stars (third) next month. 

Maritzburg started better on a wet pitch at Loftus and could have taken the lead in the 21st minute when their striker Amadou Soukouna rounded off goalkeeper Dennis Onyango to only see his shot cleared off the line by Mosa Lebusa.

The KwaZulu-Natal outfit, which was relegated in 2007, had more chances to equalise in the second stanza, even hitting the post on one occasion before Meza beat Onyango with a tap-in after a break.

Sundowns ended what was a sombre day on Tuesday night, completing a season in which they won a sixth successive DStv Premiership title with seven matches to spare.

The day started early for Sundowns players and officials as they first had to lay to rest the club's long-serving and flamboyant official Alex 'Goldfinger' Shakaone in Mamelodi after his death from a stroke last week. 

Ralani scored in the 25th minute, a goal that could have given the Brazilians their 22nd victory in 30 matches to finish on 72 points which would have broken their previous record in the 2015-2016 campaign when they won with 71 points. 

The draw was the sixth alongside 14 wins from 20 matches for Rulani Mokwena, who didn't lose a single league match since his elevation to head coach at Sundowns in October last year. 

For their efforts, Sundowns were coronated and received a cheque of R15m from the PSL on Tuesday. The Brazilians will stretch their earnings further if they go all the way and win the Champions League.

Losers in the semifinal of the Champions league get R8m, runners-up R14m and winners R18m.