Highlands Park one step closer to PSL promotion

The famous name of Highlands Park is a big step closer to being back in South African top-flight football after their 1-0 promotion-playoff victory against University of Pretoria at Makhulong Stadium in Tembisa yesterday.

Once the “white Kaizer Chiefs” of South African football‚ Highlands degenerated into obscurity in the early 1980s‚ culminating in their sale to Jomo Sono for R80,000 in 1983‚ who renamed the team Jomo Cosmos.

Revived in recent years by a consortium of interests led by former Platinum Stars managing director Larry Brookstone‚ Highlands worked their way from the lower leagues into the National First Division where they finished by a point to Cosmos in the past season.

Yesterday’s victory‚ gained through Jose Garcia’s fine 53rd-minute strike from range‚ was their second of the playoffs having convincingly beaten Mbombela United 3-0 in their first game.

Highlands have six points with two games remaining‚ Mbombela three and Tuks (who suffered their second defeat) zero. Park can seal promotion with a win against Mbombela at Makhulong on Wednesday.

You could have sworn Highlands were the past season’s PSL team‚ and Tuks the First Division campaigners‚ such was the extent of the role reversal.

Bayed on by a big home crowd‚ Park at times ran their Pretoria opponents ragged‚ especially in the second half.

The first half was fairly evenly contested. For Tuks‚ Atusaye Nyondo’s curling shot from the edge of the area in the 17th was well saved by Highlands goalkeeper Tapuwa Kapini.

Both sides lost key performers before the half-hour.

Highlands coach Allan Freese had to replace defender Ryan Rae‚ who left the field with his face bandaged‚ with Kgomotso Koena in the 21st.

Tuks counterpart Shaun Bartlett had to bring on Siyabonga Ngubane for a limping Mpho Maruphing – influential in central midfield until then – on the half-hour.

Garcia’s curling shot from range left Tuks keeper Trystin Coetsee rooted to the spot.

- TMG Digital