UNIVERSITY of Pretoria go into the festive break on a high and in command of the National First Division log following a well-deserved 1-0 victory over African Warriors at LC De Villiers Stadium in Tshwane on Sunday.
The Tshwane-based outfit, coached by Steve Barker, have a cushion of two points over second-placed Thanda Royal Zulu, who have collected 31 points from 15 matches.
AmaTuks, who missed the NFD play-offs by an inch to Black Leopards last season, look set for automatic promotion, judging by their form in the first round. They are currently four points ahead of third-placed Vasco da Gama and five adrift of early pace-setters Blackburn Rovers.
Rovers lost 2-0 to United FC at Buffalo City Stadium in another match played on Sunday.
AmaTuks used to struggle in the first round of most of the previous seasons, but this time a more aggressive approach has led to a change in fortunes.
It remains to be seen what will happen when the league resumes after a seven-week break that includes the festive season and 2012 Africa Cup of Nations tournament to be co-hosted by Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.
The race for promotion in the restructured NFD remains a four-team marathon featuring AmaTuks, Thanda, Vasco and Rovers.
Witbank Spurs remain rooted at the bottom of the log after they managed to collect 11 points from a possible 45, two points behind homeboys Mpumalanga Black Aces and Atlie FC.
Atlie FC produced one of the surprises of the weekend when they pipped FC Cape Town 3-2 at NNK Stadium on Sunday.
The rest of the weekend results are:
AmaTuks 1, African Warriors 0; Atlie FC 3, FC Cape Town 2; FC AK 0, Witbank Spurs 0; and United FC 2, Blackburn Rovers 0.
Amatuks safely in driver's seat
UNIVERSITY of Pretoria go into the festive break on a high and in command of the National First Division log following a well-deserved 1-0 victory over African Warriors at LC De Villiers Stadium in Tshwane on Sunday.
The Tshwane-based outfit, coached by Steve Barker, have a cushion of two points over second-placed Thanda Royal Zulu, who have collected 31 points from 15 matches.
AmaTuks, who missed the NFD play-offs by an inch to Black Leopards last season, look set for automatic promotion, judging by their form in the first round. They are currently four points ahead of third-placed Vasco da Gama and five adrift of early pace-setters Blackburn Rovers.
Rovers lost 2-0 to United FC at Buffalo City Stadium in another match played on Sunday.
AmaTuks used to struggle in the first round of most of the previous seasons, but this time a more aggressive approach has led to a change in fortunes.
It remains to be seen what will happen when the league resumes after a seven-week break that includes the festive season and 2012 Africa Cup of Nations tournament to be co-hosted by Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.
The race for promotion in the restructured NFD remains a four-team marathon featuring AmaTuks, Thanda, Vasco and Rovers.
Witbank Spurs remain rooted at the bottom of the log after they managed to collect 11 points from a possible 45, two points behind homeboys Mpumalanga Black Aces and Atlie FC.
Atlie FC produced one of the surprises of the weekend when they pipped FC Cape Town 3-2 at NNK Stadium on Sunday.
The rest of the weekend results are:
AmaTuks 1, African Warriors 0; Atlie FC 3, FC Cape Town 2; FC AK 0, Witbank Spurs 0; and United FC 2, Blackburn Rovers 0.