Our football analyst previews the NFD Week 24 action which kicks off on Friday 15 March 2019.
Table-topping Stellenbosch survived a scare at bottom-placed Real Kings when the match was abandoned with the strugglers leading 2-1 due to inclement weather conditions. The match will be replayed with all records wiped out.
I still say the Stellies would have turned that game around to complete my treble with Mbombela United and Ajax Cape Town having already came through. Let’s see if I’m on the money once again this week!
Friday 15 March
Ajax Cape Town 7/10
Draw 24/10
Richards Bay 7/2
Thomas “Big Sexy” Verhaar handed Ajax a comfortable 2-0 victory over Richards Bay to make it two wins on the trot for the Urban Warriors. That has seen them shoot up to second on the log and five points behind top-placed Stellenbosch. They face a promotion-chasing side in Richards Bay which is eager to return to winning ways after suffering a 1-0 defeat to Uthongathi in a tightly-contested KZN derby. I’ll back Ajax due to home ground advantage.
Saturday 16 March
Maccabi 19/10
Draw 19/10
TS Galaxy 14/10
Maccabi have become the NFD whipping boys in recent week as they’ve endured a seven-game winless run with four of those ending in defeats. On the other hand, TS Galaxy have won three of their last five games and last week they thrashed Witbank Spurs 4-1 in a one-sided Mpumalanga derby. The momentum is with Galaxy and I’m tipping them to win.
Royal Eagles 12/10
Draw 2/1
Mbombela 22/10
Royal Eagles managed a draw at struggling Jomo Cosmos last week which was enough to keep them in the top three due to a superior goal difference over Mbombela who they face this week. The Mpumalanga-based club come to KZN off the back of a triumphant six-pointer against Tshakhuma who should start kissing their promotion hopes goodbye. This should be a cagey affair and I foresee it ending in a draw.
Tshakhuma 2/1
Draw 2/1
Stellenbosch 13/10
After starting of the season impressively, Tshakhuma have underwent a significant slump which has seen them plummet to eighth on the log. They have now won eight, drawn eight and lost seven of their 23 league games this season which shows how inconsistent they are.
The Stellies still sit atop the NFD standings with a five-point advantage despite having a game in hand due to abandonment of their match against Real Kings. I’ll once again include them as winners in my treble this week as they are hard to beat.
TS Sporting 11/10
Draw 2/1
Witbank Spurs 24/10
This is a game between two struggling sides with TS Sporting having won only one of their last 11 league games. On the other hand, Witbank Spurs who sit second from the bottom of the log were demolished 4-1 by TS Galaxy which took their winless run to five league games. Put your money on a share of the spoils.
Cape Umoya United 9/10 /
Draw 22/10
Real Kings 28/10
Cape Umoya United won the iKapa Derby against Ubuntu Cape Town 2-1 which has taken them closer to PSL promotion. They are now 11th on the log with 27 points which highlights their improvement under coach Dominic Isaacs.
Real Kings might feel hard done by the weather conditions after their match against top-placed Stellenbosch was called off while they were leading 2-1. The positive their can take is that they might have been on course to cause the biggest upset of the weekend and the newfound energy might boost their morale. My money is on the hosts.
Sunday 17 March
Jomo Cosmos 18/10
Draw 19/10
Uthongathi 15/10
These are two teams with contrasting fortunes with Jomo Cosmos having not tasted a league victory in four games. Uthongathi collected maximum points in the KZN derby against Richards Bay to leapfrog them into fifth place on the table. The Cane Cutters have the momentum and it should see them through here.
Ubuntu Cape Town 15/10
Draw 19/10
University of Pretoria 18/10
Ubuntu Cape Town sit just one spot above the relegation zone and they are joint with Witbank Spurs as the most beaten team this season with 12 defeats to their name. University of Pretoria have an inconsistent record of eight wins and nine defeats, however, they are by far a better side than their opponents as they lie ninth on the log. Get on the visitors to triumph in this clash.
TREBLE @ 9/1
Ajax Win 7/10
Stellenbosch Win 13/10
Uthongathi Win 15/10
Written by @EggsBenedictZA
