2007–08 National First Division
| Season | 2007–08 |
|---|---|
| Dates | 28 September 2007 – 13 April 2008 |
| Champions | Maritzburg United |
| Promoted | Maritzburg United Bay United |
| Relegated | Ga-Rankuwa United Western Province United |
← 2006–07 2008–09 → | |
The 2007–08 National First Division was the 12th season of the National First Division, the second tier of South African soccer.
Due to a lack of sponsorship, the previously national league was split into two streams, a coastal stream and an inland stream, with the winners of each meeting in a final.[1]
The champions were Maritzburg United, who were promoted to the South African Premier Division in their first season in the second tier following relegation from the 2006–07 Premier Soccer League,[2] alongside play-off victors Bay United. Ga-Rankuwa United and Western Province United were relegated to the SAFA Second Division.[3][4]
Inland Stream champions FC AK were initially found guilty of bribery and docked 15 points, but after a protracted appeals process, the sanction was reversed, and FC AK took their place in the championship final.[5][6]
After winning the league, Maritzburg coach Ian Palmer parted ways with the club.[7]
Inland stream
[edit]League table
[edit]| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | FC AK | 21 | 10 | 7 | 4 | 21 | 19 | +2 | 37 | Qualification to Championship play-off |
| 2 | Dynamos | 21 | 9 | 4 | 8 | 31 | 23 | +8 | 31 | Qualification to Promotion play-off |
| 3 | Winners Park | 21 | 9 | 4 | 8 | 25 | 24 | +1 | 31 | |
| 4 | African Warriors | 21 | 8 | 5 | 8 | 20 | 21 | −1 | 29 | |
| 5 | Mpumalanga Black Aces | 21 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 26 | 23 | +3 | 28 | |
| 6 | Witbank Spurs | 21 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 21 | 21 | 0 | 26 | |
| 7 | University of Pretoria | 21 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 23 | 27 | −4 | 25 | |
| 8 | Ga-Rankuwa United (R) | 21 | 5 | 6 | 10 | 22 | 31 | −9 | 21 | Relegation to SAFA Second Division |
Coastal stream
[edit]League table
[edit]| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maritzburg United | 21 | 14 | 5 | 2 | 31 | 13 | +18 | 47 | Qualification to Championship play-off |
| 2 | Bay United | 21 | 14 | 3 | 4 | 30 | 10 | +20 | 45 | Qualification to Promotion play-off |
| 3 | Nathi Lions | 21 | 8 | 10 | 3 | 22 | 13 | +9 | 34 | |
| 4 | FC Cape Town | 21 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 24 | 24 | 0 | 26 | |
| 5 | Ikapa Sporting | 21 | 5 | 6 | 10 | 25 | 30 | −5 | 21 | |
| 6 | Durban Stars (R) | 21 | 5 | 6 | 10 | 19 | 31 | −12 | 21 | |
| 7 | Hanover Park | 21 | 5 | 4 | 12 | 22 | 32 | −10 | 19 | |
| 8 | Western Province United | 21 | 2 | 8 | 11 | 20 | 40 | −20 | 14 | Relegation to SAFA Second Division |
Championship play-off
[edit]| FC AK | 1–1 | Maritzburg United |
|---|---|---|
Khaiseb  32' |
Davids 57' |
Maritzburg United win the championship and earn promotion, FC AK go through to the promotion playoffs
Source:[8]
Promotion play-off
[edit]Semi-finals
[edit]| Bay United | 1–0 | Black Leopards |
|---|---|---|
| Black Leopards | 1–1 | Bay United |
|---|---|---|
Black Leopards, who finished 15th in the 2007–08 Premier Soccer League, were relegated to the 2008–09 National First Division
Final
[edit]| FC AK | 0–0 | Bay United |
|---|---|---|
| Bay United | 2–1 | FC AK |
|---|---|---|
Bay United were promoted to the 2008–09 Premier Soccer League.
Source:[8]
References
[edit]- ^ "A giant leap backwards for SA soccer". The Mail & Guardian. 14 September 2007. Retrieved 25 July 2023.
- ^ "Battle lines drawn in the NFD". SowetanLIVE. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
- ^ "South Africa 2007/08". www.rsssf.org. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
- ^ "Premier Soccer League - www.psl.co.za - official website". www.psl.co.za. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
- ^ "Aziz Kara banned for life". Sport. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
- ^ "NFD teams now happy". SowetanLIVE. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
- ^ "Maritzburg boots Palmer". Sport. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
- ^ a b c d "South Africa 2007/08". RSSSF. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
External links
[edit]- South Africa 2008/09 at RSSSF