Crunch time for Wits as they host rejuvenated Buccaneers
JOBURG - With only eight games to go before the end of the 2015/16 season of the Absa Premiership, title contenders Bidvest Wits will face a rejuvenated Orlando Pirates who seem to have finally found their rhythm and are back to their winning ways.
The two teams will collide in a midweek clash at the Bidvest Wits Stadium, the formidable home of the Clever Boys, who are also known as the Students. If the home side bag all three points they could close the gap between themselves and runaway league leaders, Mamelodi Sundowns.
That is all dependent on whether the Students can be clever enough to outwit the Buccaneers who got their rhythm back when they demolished Kaizer Chiefs 2-0 two weeks ago, sending Chiefs packing from the 2016 Nedbank Cup in the first round of the competition.
Dispelling theories that the Soweto derby victory in a cup competition was a fluke, the Buccaneers went on to avenge a first-round defeat to Jomo Cosmos in the Absa Premiership by walloping Ezenkosi 5-0.
“We’re on a roll,” said the Buccaneers’ number one supporter known only as Umgijimi.
“We’re grateful to Chiefs for giving us the opportunity to get our groove back. I can warn other teams to beware, for the Buccaneers are back in town,” he added.
But the Clever Boys will not go into this encounter as sheep to the slaughter, as there is much more than three points at stake in this clash.
Wits have a task to stop the Brazilians (Sundowns) from running away with the title and the only way they can do this is by ensuring they ‘steal’ the three points from the Sea Robbers (Pirates).
Sundowns lead the pack in the premiership by 52 points from 22 games while the Clever Boys have 45 points from the same number of games. Pirates lie sixth on the table with 32 points from 22 games.
Wits will call on their ancestors to ensure the erratic Bloemfontein Celtic either holds the Brazilians to a draw or beats them in their corresponding premiership fixture on the same evening of 16 March.
In IsiXhosa they say Amasi abekwe elangeni, which simply means it’s crunch time in the Absa Premiership and any team that falters now will literally hand the premiership title to its rival.
