For a while last night it looked like Jomo Cosmos would blow it. Thirteen minutes were left on the clock and it looked like there would be a massive party in Thohoyandou.

It looked like Black Leopards would win promotion without even kicking a ball.

But as it turned out‚ a wise substitution by Jomo Sono would win Cosmos promotion to the top tier.

Wiseman Maluleke scored a goal worth millions for Cosmos‚ a goal that won them promotion to the top flight after spending a difficult three seasons in the National First Division.

Just as Maluleke was about to shoot at goal‚ the Cosmos bench stood up‚ knowing that it was probably their last chance at a goal after they wasted a couple of opportunities before that. It was a good finish from Maluleke‚ who kept his cool to beat Moroka Swallows goalkeeper Obren Cuckovic.

The ball kissed the net and Maluleke immediately ran to his coach and his teammates followed. It was a huge relief and they must have known that it was the goal to take them to the top tier of South African football.

Swallows were after all playing for nothing and never threatened Cosmos goalkeeper Sherwin Naicker.

At the sound of the final whistle‚ Cosmos players threw their jerseys in the air and they ran to Sono again. A 1-0 scoreline was enough.

Three seasons in the second tier are finally over as they finished the play offs on top of the table on seven points‚ with a superior goal difference. There’s good reason to look forward to next season.

But Ezenkosi almost tripped and fell when it mattered most. It was a nervy night indeed for Sono on the touchline

Ezenkosi knew that they needed to win the match. But they did not play like a side hungry to make that step up to the big league. They had most of the ball but they did very little with it in the final third of the pitch.

Even when Swallows were a man down‚ after Lerato Chabangu was sent off on the stroke of half time for a dangerous tackle on Pilot Mthembu‚ Ezenkosi were nothing like the side that beat the same opponents 4-1 in the Vaal a fortnight ago. There was just no sense of urgency.

But football often needs just that one moment to decide a game and it was provided towards the end and Maluleke was the hero. He scored a goal no one at Cosmos will forget.

Swallows coach Craig Rosslee made a number of changes to this team‚ including the goalkeeping department where Obren Cuckovic came in for Greg Etafia‚ and they were much more organised than usual. But they were not too organised to stop Cosmos.