Polokwane City vs Black Aces | Sunday 08 December | Old Peter Mokaba Stadium | 15:30
To Win (90mins)
Polokwane 14/10
Draw 21/10
Black Aces 19/10
Believe it or not, I was waiting for this clash. Polokwane City gained automatic promotion last season from the NFD, squeaking into first spot on goal difference.
They edged out Santos, who ended up losing out on promotion through the playoffs to Black Aces.
When two teams come up to top flight, there’s always a strong focus on how they fare.
Up until recently, Aces were doing a much better job than their fellow NFD graduates, but a resurgence in form from City has seen them merge closer together, and are now separated by just three points.
POLOKWANE CITY
Polokwane City struggled at the start of the season to say the least.
They lost their first five games in a row, and never looked like finding the light at the end of the tunnel.
They had to rely on fellows strugglers at the time Ajax Cape Town for their first win, and since then have gone on to pick up two further wins and two draws, the biggest of these results being their 1-0 triumph over table-topping Mamelodi Sundowns.
I’d like to think they’ve overcome their early-season jitters, and this fixture would be a great way to mount a more formidable challenge going forward.
BLACK ACES
Mpumalanga Black Aces are sitting ninth going into this tie, and a win will take them up to seventh, ahead of sides like Bloem Celtic and AmaZulu.
This seems inspiration enough for them to pull out all the stops here.
These two teams had a very even rivalry in the NFD, with Black Aces having a slightly better record head-to-head.
They’re coming off a hot run of form too, having been unbeaten in their last five, with their last win coming against Sundowns.
In fact, these two teams are the only ones to have beaten Downs this season.
It seems unlikely that their star striker, Mabhuti Khenyeza, will be in action though, although he wasn’t required in the win over Downs.
Betting Prediction: DRAW 21/10
This provides us an interesting clash, with both sides throwing credible stats in the ring for consideration. It’s going to be a cagey game regardless of current league form, and the bookies may be scratching their heads on this one. My gut feeling is to favour the home side, with either a win or draw, with the points being shared the more likely result.
Written by The Caretaker Coach for @Hollywoodbets. Follow them both on Twitter and Facebook now!
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