team of the WEEK

THE Christmas pudding, if Luc Eymael allows his players to indulge, will taste sweeter than usual for Free State Stars who could head into the short break in the top four of the Absa Premiership standings. Ea Lla Koto could, however, drop two positions down should Cape Town City and Bloemfontein Celtic win this week. But that won’t dampen the mood in Bethlehem as Stars have punched above their weight under Eymael, and being sixth at the halfway mark would still be an achievement. The Belgian has transformed the normally conservative team to play an exciting brand of football. Sinethemba Jantjie leads an exciting attack on the wing with his pace and skill. The 28-year-old played a key role in what was a big week for the club, beating Caf Confederation Cup finalists – SuperSport United and Orlando Pirates at Goble Park. Jantjie was even on the scoresheet against the Buccaneers. Goodman Dlamini, also made the cut in our Team of the Week thanks to his solid displays in the heart of midfield that allows attack-minded players to go forward with confidence knowing that they have good cover. Tiyani Mabunda partners Dlamini in midfield.

The Mamelodi Sundowns’ central midfielder does his job without much fanfare. It’s only when he isn’t playing that most people see his importance, but he added a bit of flair against Celtic. He scored a stunning goal in the Brazilians’ march to finish the first half of the season at the summit.