Five things to look out for in the DStv Premiership this weekend

SuperSport and Pirates meet in an early second-place six-pointer

If it looks like a foregone conclusion that Mamelodi Sundowns will win the DStv Premiership again, what is far from certain is who will finish as runners-up, and make it into the Caf Champions League next season.

SuperSport United and Orlando Pirates are the two best-placed sides at the moment to do just that, and Gavin Hunt and Jose Riveiro’s side will meet on Saturday at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane.

Hunt’s side are coming off a volatile 2-1 win over Al Ahli Bhengazi, that kept their slim Caf Confederation Cup hopes alive, but the gamesmanship from Matsatsantsa’s Libyan opposition had the SuperSport coach contemplating quitting the game.

SuperSport also arrested a run of three DStv Premiership games without a win when they beat Moroka Swallows on December 15.

Matsatsantsa, however, will do well to get another victory over an Orlando Pirates side beginning to rediscover some mojo.

Can Chiefs continue their winning dribble?

Kaizer Chiefs have managed back-to-back wins in the DStv Premiership, providing a ray of hope for Cavin Johnson’s side in a gloomy season-so-far.

They should be able to bag another three points on Saturday at home to struggling Richards Bay, and may well have benefitted from another long break without a game, as Johnson loooks to imprint his philosophy on the side in training, having only recently taken over as interim head coach.

Amakhosi have not exactly been convincing in victories over Moroka Swallows and Polokwane City, but in Bruce Bvuma they may have accidentally have stumbled upon a solution to their goalscoring problems. In attack Christian Saile and Pule Mmodi have both popped up with winners but Chiefs will need a little more attacking zest going forward.

Can Cape Town City stop the Sundowns juggernaut?

At some point, the law of averages tells you that Mamelodi Sundowns will drop some DStv Premiership points.

Rulani Mokwena’s side have won 11 out of 11 league games up to now and are strolling towards a seventh straight domestic league title.

Cape Town City are the latest team to try and draw some blood, as they host Sundowns on Sunday at the Cape Town Stadium.

Eric Tinkler’s side are having a respectable campaign up to now, but saw a run of six straight Premiership wins end in defeat to Stellenbosch in the Cape derby last time out. They will also have to cope against Sundowns without their star striker Khanyisa Mayo.

Mayo has been heavily linked with a transfer to Sundowns in the past, but he will not be able to state a case on Sunday, as he is suspended.

City haven’t beaten Sundowns since August 2020, but there have been three goalless draws in their last four meetings, and maybe that is the best Tinkler’s side can hope for this weekend.

Is Ernst Middiendorp on a hiding to nothing?

Zero points. That’s what Cape Town Spurs have picked up since relegation ‘specialist’ Ernst Middendorp took over last month, and the former Kaizer Chiefs and Maritzburg United head coach is already complaining that he doesn’t have enough players ready to play in the top flight.

If Spurs lose to AmaZulu on Friday they will be halfway through the campaign and will have picked up just three points.

It is fast looking like that surprise victory over Orlando Pirates may be a rare highlight for the newly-promoted outfit, who are runaway favourites to drop back into the Patrice Motsepe Championship. Middendorp will hope to be supported by Spurs management in January with some new signings, but Spurs could really do with giving themselves some sort of hope before then.

It is hard, however, to see them winning a match right now, and if Pablo Franco Martin’s AmaZulu have had mixed results this season, they will surely have too much for Middendorp’s men in KZN.

Psychology aside, Arrows need to arrest their slide

Golden Arrows head coach Mabhudi Khanyeza made headlines this week where he dismissed the need for psychologists in football. The former star striker needs to find some sort of answer, however, for his plummetting team, who have collapsed after a promising start to the season.

Arrows were among the front runners in the Dstv Premiership early in the season, but have lost their last five league matches on the spin, and find themselves only five points clear of 14^th placed TS Galaxy, who they host at the Mpumalanga Stadium on Saturday.

Galaxy will be looking to bounce back after losing the Carling Black Label Knockout final to Stellenbosch last weekend. Sead Ramovic’s side need to focus on their league form if they are not to be dragged into a relegation battle for the rest of the campaign.