Champions Kaizer Chiefs and deposed title holders Orlando Pirates lost, Chippa United dodged relegation but Black Leopards did not in a dramatic South African Premiership season climax.
A large crowd turned up at the 40,000-seat Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit on Saturday to salute Chiefs after they clinched a first league crown in eight seasons during the week.
But mid-table Pretoria University turned party poopers by winning 1-0 courtesy of a breakaway goal from substitute Thabo Mosadi on the hour mark.
A flick from Senegalese Mame Niang set up Mosadi to beat Chiefs and South Africa goalkeeper and captain Itumeleng Khune, and Pretoria survived a late onslaught.
Victory lifted a team playing top-flight football for the first time this season to eighth on the final standings, and secured the final place in the lucrative Top 8 Cup next season.
Clubs filling the top-eight championships places compete in a knockout competition for a $US880,000-dollar ($A900,486) winners-take-all prize.
Chiefs consoled themselves on the journey back from north-eastern South Africa to Soweto by admiring the league trophy they received after the final whistle.
The most popular football club in the country are $US1.1 million richer and have a spot in the 2014 CAF Champions League - a competition where they have previously fared poorly.
They could also complete a league-and-cup double next weekend when they tackle SuperSport United in Indian Ocean city Durban for the South African FA Cup.
Pirates needed a home win over bottom-half Maritzburg United to have any hope of finishing runners-up, but conceded two late goals and slumped 3-2 at Orlando Stadium in Soweto.
It was the third home defeat in a row for the Buccaneers, who won only one of their last 11 league games as they surrendered a title they claimed in the previous two seasons.
Tlou Segolela and Khetho Masuku put Pirates ahead twice only for Heinrich Isaacks and Ryan de Jongh to level and Zimbabwean Cuthbert Malajila snatched a last-minute winner.
Cape Town outfit Chippa, promoted at the start of the season with Pretoria, appeared doomed when they lay bottom of the table last month, seven points from safety.
But a turnaround left the Chilli Boyz needed a point at Durban side AmaZulu to avoid automatic relegation, and they collected all three as Brent Carelse converted two penalties in a 2-1 victory.Chippa fired five coaches before Mark Harrison took charge and he guided them to three wins, three draws, and a place in play-offs against two second-tier clubs for one Premiership place.
It was a black day for Leopards, the club who reached the 2012 CAF Confederation Cup play-offs and gave star-studded Sudanese side El-Merreikh a fright before bowing out.
Defensive frailties were again exposed as they fell 3-2 at Free State Stars - the visitors conceded 19 goals in their last five league games and lost eight of 10 in the run-in.
Zambia Africa Cup of Nations-winning goalkeeper Kennedy Mweene was among the scorers for Top 8 qualifiers Free State, equalising from a late first half penalty.
Platinum Stars made a mockery of pre-season forecasts that they would be relegation candidates by whipping SuperSport 3-0 in Rustenburg to finish runners-up.
Home draws deprived 2012 league runners-up Moroka Swallows and record five-time league winners and big spenders Mamelodi Sundowns of Top 8 places.
Source :iol.co.za
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