PSL kicks off with mega clash
Sundowns take on Chiefs this Saturday in a blockbuster start to the 2018-19 PSL season and it’s going to be a test of stamina for some teams who could play over 60 matches before the war is done.
South Africa’s top teams this weekend embark on a taxing season that could see some play up to 61 matches in just 10 months by the time the 2018-19 campaign comes to an end in May in what will be an unprecedented test of endurance.
Never before have clubs and their players been faced with as many matches - which do not include FIFA mandated breaks for national team games - and it suggests that only those with extensive resources will emerge victorious at the end.
The tough schedule is something TAB soccer punters will have to constantly factor into their bets because fatigue could well produce upsets and some mega payouts, especially as the season wears on.
With one month left in the transfer market, it is expected the top contenders will be looking to reinforce their squads, even though the league kicks off on Saturday.
Players like Lebogang Manyama, Phakamani Mahlambi, Gerald Phiri, Musa Lebusa and Brandon Petersen are expected to sign with new employers in the coming days with champions Mamelodi Sundowns and likely main rivals Kaizer Chiefs, Orlando Pirates, Bidvest Wits and SuperSport United still not finished in the transfer market.
The new league campaign, which was threatened by legal action undertaken by Ajax Cape Town to keep their topflight status, begins at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday with a classic clash between Sundowns and Chiefs.
The fixture is designed to get the competitive juices flowing straight away.
By next week Wednesday, all sides will have played two league games in a handful of days and the second weekend of the season will mark the start of the MTN8.
The MTN8 and Telkom Knockout will both be completed by Christmas along with 14 rounds of the league fixtures.
There will be a brief break for Christmas and New Year, much shorter than in previous years, and the last 16 rounds of the league will go through until May, interspersed with the Nedbank Cup.
Throwing a potential spanner into the works will be the participation of Sundowns, Pirates, Chiefs and Free State Stars in African club competition, which changes format this year and starts in November.
The African Champions League and African Confederation Cup fixtures will cause postponements for the PSL and drag out the season, especially if the four South African teams do well and progress into the group stages from January onwards.