Crunch weekend in PSL as Wits host Sundowns
LIKES OF CHIEFS, PIRATES AND SSU NEED WINS TO STAY IN RACE
The main attention on the PSL programme this weekend is focused on the match between leaders Bidvest Wits and champions Mamelodi Sundowns, who sit in second place, but it’s a crucial couple of days for the hopes of the other contenders as well.
Sundowns trail Wits by two points and the two meet at the Bidvest Stadium tomorrow in a game that will go a long way to deciding the title race.
But the likes of Bloemfontein Celtic, Cape Town City, Kaizer Chiefs, Orlando Pirates and SuperSport United are all within nine points of the top of the table and harbouring hopes of challenging for the title themselves, given there are still 10 games to go.
They will need, however, to start delivering and this weekend’s set of PSL fixtures is a crucial juncture for all of the challengers.
Pirates, who are four points behind Wits in third place, suffered a major setback in midweek as they lost to SuperSport and have now won only twice in their last eight league games.
To give it a different perspective, it was their first league loss since August, but Pirates have drawn too many games and proven way too inconsistent.
SuperSport can build on Wednesday’s win with victory over Baroka at home in Atteridgeville tomorrow night and make it four victories from their last five outings.
They have put a mid-season slump behind them and are up to fourth place, five points behind Wits. With the likes of Dean Furman back from injury, they are beginning to live up to their potential.
Cape Town City, seven points off the pace, were devastated at the weekend by the loss of key midfielders Thabo Nodada and Roland Putsche to long-term injuries and could see their hopes plummet against bottom-placed Maritzburg United, who they host tomorrow.
That would be a serious setback to the ambitions of coach Benni McCarthy, who has brought in free agent Travis Graham to ease his midfield crisis.
Chiefs are also on the cusp of dropping out of the race unless they can achieve a result away at Polokwane City, always a tricky place to visit.
Celtic, who are in financial strife with caretaker coaching staff, are bucking all the conventional wisdom about how to run a successful team and sit eight points behind the leaders. They should keep up their unlikely bid for glory at home on Sunday against Free State Stars.