The Premier Soccer League (PSL) has finally released fixtures for the 2016/17 season. Sadly though, if no deal is struck between the Mbombela Stadium management and any PSL team, Mpumalanga soccer fanatics will not watch a single game at the stadium.
Following the selling of Mpumalanga Black Aces to John Comitis and relocating the team to Cape Town, Mpumalanga soccer supporters have been left to starve without PSL football action.
And judging by earlier performances of the big three sides – Kaizer Chiefs, Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns, soccer fans are in for an exciting season.
Sundowns’ dominance at continental level has made them a team to beat this season. The Brazilians, as Sundowns are affectionately known, are the PSL defending champions. They are now on the verge of becoming the second South African side, after Pirates, to have a star embodied on their badge. And over the past weekend, fans witnessed one of the largest soccer derbies globally taking place at FNB Stadium.
Chiefs fans have the bragging rights early in the season. The Khosi nation (Chiefs fans) have been receiving flack of late. While Pirates and Sundowns ventured into the market to acquire the most popular players, the club from Naturena went to our neighbouring countries, Mozambique – Lewis Mache originally from Zambia but last played for Ferroviario de Maputo and Zimbabwe – Edmore Chirambadare and Michelle Katsvairo.
There has been a joke making the rounds that Chiefs prefer to import players from Zimbabwe because they receive preferential treatment in the land of “Uncle Bob” when they usually “buy one and get one free”. One joke coming from the Chiefs is that they are the trendsetters compared to the Buccaneers and that the side from Parktown always try to recycle what they (Chiefs) have dumped.
The Amakhosi fans are making a mockery of the Pirates’ technical staff. Head coach Muhsin Ertugral, goalkeeper coach, Rowen Fernandez and assistant coach, Bradley Carnell, are all Chiefs ex-employees.
