The Betway Premiership has officially codified its preference for manufactured drama over structural integrity, and the 2025/26 promotion/relegation playoff schedule is the smoking gun. This three-club shootout—featuring Cape Town City FC, Milford FC, and a third participant from the National First Division—is no longer a necessary evil; it has become a deliberate, calendar-clogging spectacle designed to generate viral moments at the expense of competitive fairness. The Betway Premiership’s leadership has squandered every opportunity to reform a system that punishes consistency while rewarding a lucky fortnight of form.
Consider the evidence from the pitch. Cape Town City, under Eric Tinkler, spent 30 rounds grinding out results to finish 15th—one spot above the automatic relegation zone. Their reward? A compressed three-match mini-tournament where a single defensive lapse against a side like Milford, scrapping its way