The final Betway Premiership matchday before the September international break will see the focus fall on co-leaders Sekhukhune United and Kaizer Chiefs, while champions Mamelodi Sundowns face a potential ‘banana skin’ away to Stellenbosch FC.
Sekhukhune and Chiefs both saw their 100 per cent starts to the league campaign fall away on Wednesday evening with respective draws against AmaZulu FC (1-1) and Sundowns (0-0), but they have nonetheless been impressive through the course of this month, and both will be hungry to go into the break sitting in pole position.
The Amakhosi will be away to Golden Arrows at the Moses Mabhida Stadium late on Saturday afternoon, while Babina Noko will welcome unbeaten Durban City to the Peter Mokaba Stadium.
Chiefs coach Nasreddine Nabi – returning to the team after attending to family matters back in Tunisia – is optimistic about the progress made by his team at the start of this season.
“Yes, we have not lost yet, but we believe [against Sundowns] we could have got more,” Nabi explained. “We appreciate that we are going in the right direction and we are going to work better for the next game.”
Sundowns, meanwhile, will face Stellenbosch FC at Athlone Stadium earlier on Saturday.
The Cape Winelands team is in good shape after following up their MTN8 semifinal triumph over Sekhukhune with a midweek league win over Marumo Gallants, and coach Steve Barker is quietly confident of getting a result against the reigning champions.
“It is an opportunity, it is at home, you know, it's important for us to be winning our home matches and getting maximum points,” said the Stellies coach.
“We've got to go there with confidence and we've got to go there with belief and just play to our strengths and our abilities and obviously be careful of what they do offer. But yeah, they have to sort their own things out.”
PIRATES CHASING THIRD WIN IN A ROW
Saturday also features Magesi FC chasing a first win when they host AmaZulu, and Orbit College welcoming an in-form TS Galaxy (two straight wins, with six goals scored) to the Dobsonville Stadium for what should be their last ‘home’ match in Soweto before returning to the Olympia Park Stadium in Rustenburg from September.
The weekend opener arrives on Friday evening in Bloemfontein, as Siwelele FC host Richards Bay and look to bounce back from a hat-trick of league defeats.
Sunday sees Orlando Pirates chasing a third successive league win when they face bottom-of-the-log Chippa United at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, while Marumo Gallants will look to avoid a hat-trick of defeats when they host Polokwane City at the Dr Molemela Stadium.
The Buccaneers’ coach, Abdeslam Ouaddou, is hoping to see his side build further momentum when they head to the Eastern Cape.
“The target is to have a consistent Pirates team – in both halves,” said Ouaddou, whose team shrugged off a sloppy first 45 minutes to defeat Orbit College in midweek.
“So, that will become very important if we want to reach the top part of the log. We need more consistency in terms of dominating the opponent. We need to control the game better, be more offensive, and unsettle the opponent in their own half.”
WEEKEND FIXTURES
Times CAT
Friday 29 August
7:30pm: Siwelele FC v Richards Bay
Saturday 30 August
3pm: Magesi FC v AmaZulu FC
3pm: Stellenbosch FC v Mamelodi Sundowns
3pm: Golden Arrows v Kaizer Chiefs
3pm: Sekhukhune United v Durban City
3pm: Orbit College v TS Galaxy
Sunday 31 August
3pm: Chippa United v Orlando Pirates
3pm: Marumo Gallants v Polokwane City