With the international break currently underway and all major football leagues being paused to allow players to partake in their respective national teams, we look at the current state of the DStv Premiership thus far.
The 23/24 campaign started on a high note with defending champions looking to continue where they left off last season. Mamelodi Sundowns has come up victorious in all five fixtures collecting maximum points and are on the right path to clinch their seventh consecutive league title. They recently made history by extending their unbeaten run to 31 matches in all competitions. Meanwhile, the newly promoted Cape Town Spurs are finding it hard to adapt into the top-flight having suffered five consecutive defeats and are yet to collect a point or secure a victory.
Orlando Pirates kick-started their 23/24 campaign with a 1-0 loss against Stellenbosch, but they quickly managed to get back to their winning ways by demolishing Royal AM 4-2. They have not tasted a defeat since then and are currently fourth on the log with seven points. The Bucks have not been shy in the face of goals, on form Zakhele Lepasa has netted nine goals in seven games across all competitions and he is a player to keep an eye on for the top goal scorer award at the end of the season. Jose Riveiro’s men are currently in a battle to defend their MTN 8 trophy. After defeating Stellenbosch 2-1 in the first leg of the semi-finals, they are the favourites to meet Kaizer Chiefs or Sundowns in the final. However, Stellies can still turn things around in the second leg.
Meanwhile, the other Soweto Giants also had a rocky start to the season failing to secure a win in their first three matches and suffering back-to-back defeats in the process, losing 2-1 against Mamelodi Sundowns and coming out short 1-0 against TS Galaxy. Chiefs seem to have fixed the errors and have recorded convincing back-to-back wins. They defeated AmaZulu 3-0 and the Stellies 2-0. Brandon Petersen has been making some crucial saves while Edson Castillo and Pule Mmodi have been scoring winning goals for Chiefs. We wait to see whether Amakhosi will continue with their winning momentum and be counted amongst league title contenders.
Golden Arrows who currently occupy second place on the log with ten points have been one of the most improved teams this season after finishing ninth in the 22/23 campaign. Having suffered a 4-0 defeat against Mamelodi Sundowns, Abafana Bes’thende have had an impressive turnaround by defeating Polokwane City 3-2 and SuperSport United 3-0 in their home ground. Nduduzo Sibiya has played a vital role in the club’s success netting one goal and providing three assists in four matches. With their co-coach Vusimuzi Vilakazi stepping down, we look to see whether they move forward with their winning ways.
Masandawana’s Lucas Ribeiro is currently the league’s top goal scorer with four goals followed by Zakhele Lepasa, Pule Mmodi, Tshegofatso Mabasa and Chibuike Ohizu who are all tied on three goals.
Make sure that you get a copy of the upcoming Soccer Betting News to get a preview of the upcoming DStv Premiership preview.
Written by Siphesihle Soni