Cape Town City sealed a top-8 PSL finish at the end of the season thanks to the best form in the league.
In Saturday’s final-day showdown with SuperSport United, a win for either side would have clinched the R1.5m Q-innovation incentive for the last quarter of the season.
And it was City who claimed the spoils, courtesy of Kermit Erasmus’ 13th goal of the campaign, completing the post-coronavirus lockdown matches with fives wins and two losses.
The 15 points took them from one point above the relegation zone on August 11 to sixth on the final day.
And influential midfielder Thabo Nodada says they have come a long way under coach Jan Olde Riekerink after one win in nine which led to Benni McCarthy’s sacking last November.
Nodada says: “This season has taught us so many lessons. To think we were second from bottom at one point.
“The way we turned things around makes us all excited for what’s to come.
“We’ve found ourselves again, which makes us all believe that we can achieve something special next season.
“We wanted Top 8, we got that. We wanted Q4, we got that.
“There have been many heartaches this season but the way we ended as a group and how we pulled together during a time where many teams struggled showed the character and DNA of this club.
“We believe that we are on the verge of something special.”
Fellow Cape side, Stellenbosch, were not so fortunate, missing out on a top-half finish after their first loss in the biobubble by three points.
Coach Steve Barker’s manne’s 1-0 defeat to Orlando Pirates left them stranded in 10th place after picking up nine points since the restart.