Mamelodi Sundowns are on the verge of making history by clinching their seventh consecutive league title while the race for the second position continues to heat up as Stellenbosch and Sekhukhune United climb to second and third position after Pirates dropped points, we look to see if they can continue with their impressive performances as the end of the season draws near. Meanwhile relegation-threatened Richards Bay FC and Cape Town Spurs dropped crucial points and seem destined for the axe.
Here is this week’s DStv Premiership preview and predictions:
Saturday, April 06
28/10 Chippa United | Draw 22/10 | Kaizer Chiefs 9/10 (15:00)
Following two back-to-back losses, the Chilli Boys find themselves too close to the relegation zone, they showed character when they dropped relegation-threatened Cape Town Spurs 2-0 on Wednesday. They are currently 11th on the log with 26 points.
Amakhosi on the other hand have also suffered a dip in form and have only managed to get one win in their past five league matches with the other four ties ending in three draws and one defeat. Their woes continued when they suffered a 1-0 loss against Stellenbosch on Tuesday. I expect them to come out strong and redeem themselves at the expense of Chippa. Back Chiefs to win.
16/10 Richards Bay FC | Draw 2/1 | Moroka Swallows 16/10 (15:00)
Bottom-rooted Richards Bay have experienced four defeats and one game ended in a draw in their previous five league matches. Given their lacklustre performance, it is hard to see them surviving relegation.
Swallows recently ended their six-match winless run by a narrow 1-0 victory against Cape Town Spurs and also managed to hold Orlando Pirates to a 1-1 draw on Wednesday. They are the better team in this clash despite the results not being in their favour lately, but I see them getting a win. Swallows to win.
8/10 Orlando Pirates | Draw 22/10 | Golden Arrows 33/10 (17:30)
Buoyed by a 2-1 loss against Sekhukhune and a draw against Swallows, the Bucs will be aiming to get back to winning ways at the expense of Arrows. Given Amabhakaniya’s quality of their squad as well as their desire to qualify for CAF Champions league, I expect them to come out strong for a win.
Eighth-place Arrows are on a three-match unbeaten run and given Steve Komphela’s tactics, they are expected to give Pirates a run for their money and may even surprise them and get the win. My money is on Pirates.
13/10 Stellenbosch | Draw 2/1 | Sekhukhune United 2/1 (20:00)
This is expected to be a cracker of a game given these two club’s stellar performances lately. Stellies will be expected to use their home ground advantage and the backing of their home fans as extra motivation for a win. They recently defeated Kaizer Chiefs 1-0.
Babina Noko are heading to this match high on confidence after defeating the Soweto giants Orlando Pirates 2-1 in a match where they went in as underdogs. They face a daunting task of defeating Stellenbosch who are yet to taste defeat this year. Lehlohonolo Seema’s side is on a five-match winning run in the league and this has seen them move up to the third spot on the log. I see this match ending in a draw.
1/1 SuperSport United | Draw 2/1 | TS Galaxy 5/2 (20:00)
Things have not been going well for SuperSport United lately, they have not managed to get a win in their last six league matches, they have lost one and played five draws. They need to get back to winning ways to be able to finish in a place where they can partake in CAF competitions.
Sead Ramovic’s side had a convincing win against AmaZulu, dropping them 2-0 this past Saturday which was followed by a 3-0 thrashing of Royal AM. They are expected to stay on the winning lane and shock the home side. Samir Nurkovic has been in fine form lately scoring winning goals for the Rockets. We look to see if he can find the back of the net against the Pretoria side. A draw will be the outcome of this match
Sunday, April 07
9/10 Cape Town City | Draw 22/10 | AmaZulu 28/10 (15:00)
The Citizens struggles for a win continued when they were held to a goalless draw by Kaizer Chiefs as well as Sekhukhune United on Wednesday. Their last win was against fellow Cape Town rivals Spurs and this was last year December. Eric Tinkler needs to go back to the drawing board and find a winning formula.
AmaZulu will be out for redemption having suffered a 2-0 humiliation against TS Galaxy which prolonged their winless run to five matches. They are currently 12th on the log with 24 points and this is too close to the relegation zone. I see this match ending in a draw.
13/10 Royal AM | Draw 2/1 | Polokwane City 2/1 (15:00)
Royal AM has been very unpredictable as of late, they dropped Cape Town City 2-0 in a match where they were expected to lose and then went on to be demolished 3-0 by Stellenbosch FC and TS Galaxy respectively. It will be interesting to see if they can win that clash and build from it ahead of facing the Limpopo side.
Rise and Shine are fresh off a 1-0 win against Chippa United, they were held to a goalless draw against Amazulu. We are yet to see if they can stay on the winning lane and move to the top half of the table. My money is on Polokwane to win.
Written by @siphesihlesoni