Nail-biting finale ahead
THE Absa Premiership campaign is building up to a climax and football fans are set for a potentially intriguing grand finale.
The recent results involving title challengers suggest that the race for the championship will go down to the wire, again!
Leaders Kaizer Chiefs are dropping valuable points at this very crucial stage of the season and this could come back to haunt them just like it did this time last season.
Last year Amakhosi allowed Mamelodi Sundowns to stage the greatest comeback in the Premier Soccer League history when they overhauled Chiefs’ 11-point lead and snatched the league title from under their nose.
Sundowns are once again chasing. In midweek they reduced Chiefs’ 11-point cushion to eight points, with a game in hand, after a 5-0 demolition job on Polokwane City. Chiefs’ loss at Maritzburg United hugely dented their title hopes and from here they are under pressure to fix and polish that dent in order to clinch the title.
Orlando Pirates are third, and can also fancy their chances even though they are 11 points off the pace. Also 11 points behind are Bidvest Wits, who despite their wobbly form in their last two games, can also be seen as contenders.
The relegation dogfight at the opposite end of the table has also added spark to a thrilling run-in as the teams that were seemingly condemned to the scrapheap are starting to collect vital points.
Tail-enders AmaZulu have shown commendable spirit in their recent matches – pocketing seven points in their last three outings.
Fellow strugglers Platinum Stars also claimed a haul of full points from their last two matches, and Moroka Swallows also won against Free State Stars on Wednesday.
Like most of the teams in the bottom half of the table, Chippa United are in a panic mode and are said to have fired their German coach Ernst Middendorp and replaced him with Serbian Vladislav Heric.
The latter helped Chippa to regain promotion to the elite league but Heric is now used to being dumped after rescuing clubs from relegation, or leading them to the elite league.
Like Chippa, Swallows have been struggling under Fani Madida but club boss Leon Prins has stuck it out with the former Chiefs striker.
Fair enough, Madida was appointed a few weeks ago when Swallows were already in trouble.
The much-maligned Prins showed an unknown trait about himself when he brought well-known New Zealand-born rugby coach, John Mitchell, to motivate the players.
It appears the man who roused the Lions rugby team from long years of slumber might be onto another road to success with the Birds.
On Wednesday Swallows fought back to beat Free State Stars 2-1.