With seven matches remaining in the DStv Premiership, the battle to stave off relegation remains wide open, former PSL coach Boebie Solomons feels anyone from 10th place down is not safe.

Marumo Gallants may be rooted at the bottom of the table, with 20 points from 23 matches, but the arrival of coach Dylan Kerr has raised hopes that they can still fight their way up the standings.

After their excellent run in the CAF Confederation Cup, where they have qualified for the quarterfinals of the competition, they seem to be improving as they are unbeaten in their last three league matches, winning once and drawing two.

Second-from-the-bottom Maritzburg United are in crisis as they lost their last four matches. After the arrival of Fadlu Davids in December, the team looked to have improved, but a run of poor results recently has seen them remain in the danger zone and are only a point ahead of bottom side Gallants.

The last time they recorded a victory was on January 21 when they edged Golden Arrows 1-0 away.

Having escaped the axe last season by winning the playoffs, Swallows find themselves again fighting to stave off relegation as they are three points ahead of Maritzburg. Following the departure of coach Ernst Midderndorp who went back to Germany recently, it remains to be seen if Musa Nyatama, who has been entrusted with the job to save the club, will steer them to safety at the end of the season.

With Chippa United again changing coaches, with Kurt Lentjies now in charge of the team, he will bank on his last season's experience where he guided them to safety before he was fired this campaign.

Lentjies was in charge when Chippa survived the chop last season and will look to do the same this time after taking over from Morgan Mammila.

Solomons feels any one can still survive the chop but that it will need team effort in the last few matches. "There are still a lot of matches and a lot of points to play for," Solomons explained to Sowetan.

"The race is still wide open and anyone from the midtable is not safe. If you look at Richards Bay, they have lost their last five matches and other teams below them have been winning consistently, meaning anything can still happen. So it is difficult to say who will face the chop now as anything can still happen."

Solomons, who was once in this situation with Santos, Black Leopards and Polokwane City, and managed to save those clubs, said:  "It is up to what the club plans at this stage and it will need every effort from everyone in the last matches to make sure they help the teams survive."

The relegation run in

Chippa's remaining games: SuperSport, April 1, home; Pirates, April 8, home; Gallants, April 12, away; Chiefs, April 27, home; Richards Bay, May 3, away; Galaxy, May 13, away; Arrows, May 20, home

Swallows: AmaZulu, April 1, away; Sundowns, April 9, home; Stellenbosch, April 22, away; Maritzburg, April 27, home; Chiefs, May 2, away; Royal AM, May 13, away; Gallants, May 20, home

Maritzburg: Galaxy, April 2, away; Sekhukhune, April 8, away; Richards Bay, April 21, home; Swallows, April 27, away; Gallants, May 3, away; Stellenbosch, May 13, home; Sundowns, May 20, away

Gallants: Royal AM, April 5, home; Chiefs, April 8, away; Chippa, April 12, home; SuperSport, April 18, home; Maritzburg, May 3, away; Sundowns, May 13, away; Swallows, May 20, home.