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Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter

WARRIORS defender Teenage Hadebe scored his second goal in Turkey, as his team Yeni Malatyaspor registered their biggest scoring league victory at the weekend.

The towering defender scored his team’s second goal in their 4-0 drubbing of 12th-placed Rizespor.

Saturday’s win kept 13th-placed Malatyaspor six-points clear of relegation with two fixtures left before the season ends.

Hadebe’s side has amassed 44 points from 38 outings and trail their weekend victims by a point.

Hadebe, who moved to Turkey from South African Premiership side Kaizer Chiefs in the 2019/20 season, scored his first Super Lig goal last month in a 1-0 victory against Alanyaspor.

That goal moved Malatyaspor two places up the ladder from position 16th to 14th place. The weekend win moved them into 13th place.

With games coming thick and fast, Malatyaspor, who finished the 2019/20 competition in 16th place and were saved from relegation by the Turkish football authorities’ decision to increase topflight teams from 18 to 21, have been fighting for survival.m for most of the season.

In South Africa, Cuthbert Malajila’s Royal Kings marched closer to automatic Premiership promotion courtesy of a 2-1 win over TS Sporting in the National First Division.

Royal Kings dislodged Richards Bay, who were beaten 2-1 at home by JDR Stars, from the top spot following their victory, which took their points’ tally to 47 from 28 games.

Richards Bay are on 45 points.

The Zimbabwean trio of former Warriors goalkeeper Tapuwa Kapini, ex-Bosso right-back McClive Phiri and winger Walter Musona are staring at PSL promotional playoffs with their Sekhukhune United, who are third on the table with 44 points.

Sekhukhune edged Cape United 1-0 to keep their PSL hopes alive.

Sekhukhune face former Premiership side Polokwane City in their next encounter and wrap up the season with a home tie against JDR Stars, who are fifth on the table with 43 points.

JDR Stars are also in the race for a ticket to the promotional playoffs.

With all DStv Premiership matches suspended to pave ay for the Nedbank Cup final, former Warriors shot stopper Washington Arubi was voted the tournament’s best goalkeeper after keeping four clean sheets in five games for  his Limpopo-based side Tshakuma Tsha Madzivhandila (TTM).

TTM beat Chippa United 1-0 in the final.

For winning the Nedbank Cup, Arubi’s club will participate in the next edition of the Caf Confederation Cup. – @ZililoR