Betway Premiership — Round 29 | 16 May 2026
Polokwane City’s 1-1 draw with Marumo Gallants in the Limpopo derby took the side to 40 points, mathematically confirming a top-eight finish and a third successive MTN8 qualification despite a display coach Phuti Mohafe described as below his team’s standard.
A derby that delivered milestones, not performance
Polokwane City led at the break and looked the more polished side, but a second-half lull let Marumo Gallants level through Banele Mguni and turned an evening of celebration into a working draw. Coach Phuti Mohafe was openly unhappy at full-time, telling reporters he was ‘livid’ with the performance and pointedly refusing to dress the result up. The point still did everything the table needed it to: 40 points reached, top-eight clinched, and a third straight MTN8 group earned with a round to spare.
MTN8 qualification — three in a row
Rise and Shine will be back in the season-opening cup competition for a third consecutive year, a run of consistency that puts the Limpopo side in elite company. Only a handful of Betway Premiership clubs can claim that level of dependability in the top eight, and the qualification carries with it the prize money and television exposure that come with a place in the MTN8 group stage. For a club of Polokwane City’s resources, the financial windfall matters as much as the football.
Mohafe wants more before the curtain falls
The coach used his press conference to make clear that one final-round performance is still owed to the supporters. Polokwane City close their league season on the road and Mohafe wants a complete display — not the patched-together draw on offer in the derby. The message to his squad was straightforward: the milestone is banked, the standard is not.
Final word
A derby draw, a top-eight finish, an MTN8 group sealed and a coach who refused to let his squad coast across the line. Polokwane City have delivered the season they set out to play. Mohafe just wants to see one more performance that matches the achievement.
