Cape Town City's fight for survival in the Betway Premiership began with a frustrating goalless draw against Orbit College, a result that saw Orbit College ascend to the top of the PSL Promotion Play-Offs mini-log after their second consecutive draw.
Despite being the clear favorites, the Betway Premiership side struggled significantly to carve out clear-cut chances throughout the match, a major disappointment for their survival hopes.
City initiated the game on the front foot, displaying early intent, yet their attacking efforts yielded little.
Their sole shot on target in the first half came as late as the 40th minute, a promising strike from Namibian international Prins Tjueza, but Orbit College's goalkeeper Sekhoane Moarene was alert and produced a good save to deny him.
The halftime whistle blew with the score still at 0-0, leaving City with much to desire and Orbit College visibly determined to grind out their result.
The second half saw immediate tactical adjustments from City, bringing on Luyolo Slatsha and Jody Ah Shene for Thulani Serero and the promising 16-year-old Emile Witbooi.
WITBOOI CAME CLOSE TO BREAKING DEADLOCK
The introduction of 16-year-old Emile Witbooi immediately injected a spark into City's attack. Just five minutes after coming onto the field in the second half, the young talent unleashed a powerful, curving strike from outside the penalty box that seemed destined for the back of the net.
To the agonizing disbelief of the home supporters, the ball crashed emphatically against the crossbar, denying what would have been a sensational opening goal and crucially preserving the goalless stalemate.
As the match wore on, the tension mounted, and Orbit College, often the underdog, began to create their own significant opportunities. In the 76th minute, they very nearly snatched a surprise lead when Ayanda Lukhele found himself in a promising position.
His shot narrowly missed the target, leaving City's experienced goalkeeper Darren Keet completely stranded and offering a collective sigh of relief for the home side. Not content with just one scare, College threatened again a mere two minutes later.
This time, Letsie Koapeng tested City's resolve, but his effort from range sailed wide over the crossbar, sparing the hosts once more.
In the dying moments of the game, Cape Town City pushed for a winner, creating a final late opportunity through Cee-Jay Bezuidenhout.
However, their hopes were dashed as Sekhoane Moerane, Orbit College's outstanding goalkeeper, produced yet another brilliant close-range save, firmly denying the youngster and ensuring that the points were ultimately shared.
For City, this draw is a setback, and they will now face a challenging away trip to Casric Stars in Mpumalanga, where they are desperately hoping to collect maximum points in what has become their next crucial fixture in the fight for survival.
