Can Kaizer Chiefs make it three in a row?

All DStv Premiership teams are back in action in midweek as the games continue to come thick and fast, with Kaizer Chiefs seeking to continue their recent revival.

Here is a quick look at what to expect from the eight games.

KAIZER CHIEFS VS TTM

This will be a fifth fixture in 15 days for Kaizer Chiefs, which includes a trip to Angola, and will stretch their thin squad to the limit.

They are seeking a third DStv Premiership victory in a row for the first time since the side claimed eight wins in succession between September and December 2019.

Chiefs have won just one ‘home’ league fixture (including the Gauteng bio-bubble) in 11 matches though (D5 L5), which was a 1-0 success over Chippa United on Sept 2.

TTM have not scored in three of their last four games and have won just one of their last 17 matches in all competitions, a 1-0 home win over Baroka FC on November 22.

The last time they won away at the home of their opponent was against Cape Umoya United in the GladAfrica Championship on February 28.

One plus for them this season has been their ability to scramble results. They have taken five points from losing positions this season (they have fallen behind in nine of their 11 games), which is the joint best record. But they have yet to win after going behind.

MAMELODI SUNDOWNS VS BLOEMFONTEIN CELTIC

With the joint-best attack and the best defence, Mamelodi Sundowns are seemingly marching towards another league title, and will expect a home win against inconsistent Bloemfontein Celtic.

That being said, Phunya Sele Sele have already beaten them 1-0 away in the MTN8 quarterfinals earlier this campaign, though since then Sundowns have gone on to win nine and draw four of their 13 games in all competitions.

Sundowns have not lost a DStv Premiership match at their actual home stadium in 14 months, since Kaizer Chiefs won 2-0 at Loftus Stadium in October 2019.

Celtic are winless in six games (D3 L3) and their problem has been obvious – a slow start to games. Of their 13 goals conceded this season in the league, nine of have come in the first half, putting them on the back foot.

The teams have clashed on 80 previous occasions in all competitions, with Sundowns leading the head-to-head 43-17 and 20 draws. They played each other four times last season, with The Brazilians victorious in each game.

STELLENBOSCH VS BAROKA FC

Baroka’s freefall continues with just a single point from the last 15 available, prompting the club to add Vincent Kobola as assistant coach this week.

The Limpopo club had made a bright start to the season, but that is long forgotten, with even their away point to TS Galaxy coming as they blew a 2-0 lead.

Stellenbosch have been solid, if unspectacular, with three draws in their last four games to go with a home win against TTM (2-0).

Coach Steve Barker will know he has to start turning those draws into victories, especially at home, and anything less than a win against Baroka will be a major disappointment.

Stellenbosch won both games between these sides last season by 1-0 scorelines – both goals scored by Waseem Isaacs, who has since left for Cape Town All Stars in the second tier.

SWALLOWS FC VS CHIPPA UNITED

Swallows FC’s remarkable start to the season shows no sign of slowing as they head the DStv Premiership with 25 points alongside Mamelodi Sundowns.

Both teams won 1-0 last time out, Swallows at Baroka FC and Chippa United at TS Galaxy, welcome relief for the latter as they ended a run of seven games without a win.

This match is yet another on the road for Chippa, they have not played in the Eastern Cape since November 29, making this a seventh away game in a row.

It is now one loss in 28 games for Swallows dating back to last season, a superb run that will be tested in the coming weeks with matches against Sundowns and SuperSport United after this one.

They are particularly good when they get the first goal in games – they have gone in front in nine matches this season, resulting in seven wins and two draws.

Chippa have found it more difficult, they have just two wins from six matches (D2 L2) in which they have gone in front.

SUPERSPORT UNITED VS AMAZULU

AmaZulu have looked more solid defensively since the arrival of Benni McCarthy as coach, but they have yet to turn that into regular wins having taken just two points from the last nine available.

This will be another difficult away day against one of the best attacks in the league and a striker in Bradley Grobler, who has 10 goals in 11 games this season.

But Usuthu have been something of a bogey side for SuperSport in the recent past. The last nine meetings have resulted in five AmaZulu wins and four for SuperSport, though that does include the last two.

A feature of meetings between then sides is the low number of draws, there have been just three in the last 24 games dating back to the start of the 2007/08 season.

The last draw at SuperSport was a 0-0 stalemate in February 2011.

ORLANDO PIRATES VS LAMONTVILLE GOLDEN ARROWS

This used to be a banker fixture for Orlando Pirates, but four of the last six meetings between the sides have finished in 0-0 draws, including the previous two.

It is clear Golden Arrows have a problem scoring goals against Pirates, having netted just once in the last 11 hours of football between the teams – Jabulani Shongwe with that lone strike in a 2-1 defeat in March 2018.

Pirates have battled to find a regular goal-scorer this season – their 13 goals have come from nine different players, the biggest spread in the top flight.

Unusually for this stage of the season, Golden Arrows actually go into this game ahead of Pirates on the table, leading The Buccaneers by a single point, though Mandla Ncikazi’s side also have a game in hand.

Golden Arrows (W4 D6) remain one of three unbeaten sides in the DStv Premiership this season alongside Mamelodi Sundowns (W7 D4) and Swallows FC (W7 D4).

BLACK LEOPARDS VS CAPE TOWN CITY

Black Leopards moved off the bottom of the table with their surprise 2-0 home win over Orlando Pirates on Sunday and will be seeking back-to-back home wins in the DStv Premiership for the first time in 13 months.

Cape Town City were also part of that double, though the first game they played which resulted in a 2-1 win, followed by victory over Lamontville Golden Arrows by the same scoreline.

City have now taken just a single point from their last three and return to the Thohoyandou Stadium for the second time in 11 days after playing to a 2-2 draw with TTM on January 9.

Their problems are clear – they have conceded two or more goals in seven of their last nine games and have comfortably the worst defence in the league.

That is tempered by the fact they have the joint-best attack alongside Mamelodi Sundowns and SuperSport United.

MARITZBURG UNITED VS TS GALAXY

New TS Galaxy coach Owen da Gama will want a quick turnaround in fortunes for his side after they slipped to the foot of the DStv Premiership table with a 1-0 home defeat to fellow strugglers Chippa United on Saturday.

That means they have gained just a single point from the last 18 available, despite playing the last three matches in their Mpumalanga home.

The struggle for goals has been their major issue, just four players have found the back of the net for the sides this season – Mxolisi Macuphu (3), Mokete Mogaila (2), Wayde Lekay and Bevan Fransman (1 each).

Maritzburg are just a single point ahead of Galaxy, but have been much improved since the arrival of coach Ernst Middendorp.

They are now unbeaten in four games (W2 D2) and have kept clean-sheets in their previous two fixtures as well.