Following the 5-1 thrashing of Kaizer Chiefs, Mamelodi Sundowns made history when they won their seventh consecutive league title with six games remaining. The battle for a second-place finish continues to intensify as the high-flying Stellenbosch FC looks to hold on to it while third-place Orlando Pirates are not far behind and continues to breath down their neck. Meanwhile at the tail of the log, Spurs look set for a return to the Motsepe Foundation Championships while Richards Bay fight to close the gap between them and Royal AM.
Friday May 10
7/20 SuperSport United | Draw 3/1 | Cape Town Spurs 8/1 (19:30)
Gavin Hunt’s side recently broke their six-match winless run with a hard-fought 1-0 win against Royal AM thanks to Bradley Grobler’s 87th-minute goal which proved to be enough for them to walk away with maximum points. They need to stay on the winning lane to be able to qualify for continental competitions.
Spurs woes continued when they went down 1-0 to Polokwane City. They remain rooted at the bottom of the log with an eight-point gap between them and 15th-position Richards Bay. They have been playing good football, but the results have not been favourable to them. They need to get positive results in their mid-week clash against Royal AM to build momentum heading to this match. Back SuperSport to win.
Saturday, May 11
6/1 Moroka Swallows | Draw 28/10 | Stellenbosch 9/20 (15:00)
Moroka Swallows face the daunting task of overcoming the wounded Stellenbosch FC who now have all their focus on the league after getting knocked out of the Nedbank Cup by Mamelodi Sundowns. The Birds showed character when they defeated Chippa United 2-1 and can shock the Wine Landers or at least come out with a draw as they did against Sundowns when they held them to a 2-2 draw.
Steve Barker’s side will be looking to extend their three-match winning run to maintain their second spot on the log. With Orlando Pirates breathing down their neck, they need to come out with all three points in this match. Stellenbosch to win.
2/1 Polokwane City | Draw 2/1 | Sekhukhune United 13/10 (15:00)
Rise and Shine have been having a rollercoaster of a season having been one of the most inconsistent teams thus far. We look to see if they can stay on the winning lane when they face Richards Bay on Wednesday and come to this match highly motivated. Oswin Appollis has had a good season, and it is hard to see Polokwane keeping him on their books next season.
Babina Noko on the other hand is in good form and stands a good chance of winning this match with coach Lehlohonolo Seema at the helm who is a former coach of Polokwane City and is familiar with their set-up as well as their players. It will be interesting to see if he can use that information to his advantage. My money is on Sekhukhune United to win.
1/6 Mamelodi Sundowns | Draw 5/1 | Royal AM 14/1 (17:30)
When comparing both teams’ performances as well as the quality of players that they have, this is expected to be a one-sided affair. The last five meetings between these clubs all ended in favour of the Brazilians. Rulani Mokwena is expected to rotate his squad by resting his regular starters and giving other players a chance. Mamelodi Sundowns to win.
2/9 Orlando Pirates | Draw 9/2 | Richards Bay 10/1 (20:00)
The Bucs will have to shift their focus back into the league following their 3-1 win against Chippa United in the Nedbank Cup semi-final. They will now be facing Mamelodi Sundowns in the final at Mbombela Stadium on 1 June.
Jose Riveiro’s side was held to a goalless draw by Richards Bay in their last meeting, however, a lot has changed since then as Pirates are heading to this match at the back of five wins in their recent five matches and are working tirelessly to overtake Stellies in the second position in the log standings. Patrick Maswanganyi, Kabelo Dlamini and Relebohile Mofokeng have been unstoppable as of late.
Vusimuzi Vilakazi’s men have a mountain of a task ahead of them. Their chances of surviving the axe are threatened by the Soweto Giants. They will need to pull out all the stops to secure a win and catch up to Royal AM. Easy win for the Orlando Pirates.
Sunday May 12
13/10 Cape Town City | Draw 2/1 | TS Galaxy 2/1 (15:00)
The Citizen’s string of bad luck continued when they suffered a 2-0 loss to Orlando Pirates. They will be looking to turn things around when they host Moroka Swallows on Tuesday before they face TS Galaxy who are eyeing a top-four finish. Tuesday’s game is a must-win for Eric Tinkler’s side to be able to come to this match with momentum on their side.
Sead Ramovic’s men will be aiming to get back to their winning ways having struggled to record a victory in their past two matches. Given the impressive football that they have been playing, they are the favourites to win this clash. Lehlohonolo is back in the starting line-up and will be of great importance in providing goals for the Rockets together with Samir Nurkovic. Galaxy to edge City
13/10 Golden Arrows | Draw 2/1 | Chippa United 2/1 (15:00)
Abafana Bes’thende will be gunning for a win to be able to break their winless run that has stretched to over six matches. Their last victory was against their KwaZulu-Natal rivals Richards Bay FC on 24 March which was Steve Komphela’s second match at the helm.
The Chilli Boys will be looking for back-to-back victories over the KZN side having smashed them 2-0 in their last clash. They will be looking for redemption after a painful 3-1 loss against Pirates in the semifinals of the Nedbank Cup. The Eastern Cape side enjoyed a good run which saw them winning four consecutive matches, but they fell off and suffered three back-to-back losses. It is yet to be seen if they can turn things around. A draw is a safe bet for this match.
18/10 AmaZulu | Draw 2/1 | Kaizer Chiefs 14/10 (17:30)
Usuthu squandered their 1-0 lead when they fell short 2-1 to Richards Bay in their last league match. They face a must-win situation to clear off the relegation zone. They should use the home fans’ advantage as motivation to be able to secure a win against one of the most supported teams in the country. Hendrick Ekstein and Celimpilo Ngema are notable performers for Pablo Martin’s side and will be instrumental in this match.
Amakhosi will be out for redemption following their 5-1 demolition by Sundowns, they will need to put that behind them and secure a win to be in a good position to finish in the top eight following one of their worst seasons. They are currently occupying the eighth position with 33 points. Before this match, they will host TS Galaxy on Tuesday. BTTS is the way to go here.
Written by @siphesihlesoni.