AmaZulu, Polokwane City and others reflect on mixed fortunes

AS the dust settles on a dramatic Betway Premiership season, it's time to take stock of how each club fared — from those who soared against the odds to others who stumbled despite high hopes.

- HERMAN GIBBS AND OBAKENG MELETSE

8TH | RICHARDS BAY FC

Rewarded for their hard yards

The Natal Rich Boys were the surprise package among the top eight teams, securing their spot with the final kick of the season after spending much of the campaign battling relegation.

Their troubles began under Brandon Truter, whose departure left the club in urgent need of a turnaround as they were staring at a second consecutive season battling to stay up.

Interim coach Ronnie Gabriel stepped in and managed to steady the ship, and despite also enduring difficult spells, he guided the team to an impressive finish that few would have predicted at the season's halfway mark, making their achievement even more remarkable.

The good and the bad: The top eight qualification will rank highest in the club’s list of achievements this season, as they have given themselves a chance to compete in the MTN8 competition, a significant improvement after playing the relegation play-off the previous season.

The need to be stable will be important moving ahead, and appointing a permanent coach will be key in their plans for next season.

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What’s to come: The club will take a lot of confidence from their showing this season and having ended better than they started; it will spur them on very early in the season to come, and they will stay clear of the bottom half.

7TH | POLOKWANE CITY

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