Our football analyst previews the NFD Week 25 action which kicks off on Saturday 30 March 2019.
Who would have thought top-placed Stellenbosch would endure a three-match winless run after brushing teams aside for the better part of the season! What makes their recent slump even more disappointing is the fact that the match in which they were trailing relegation-threatened Real Kings 2-1 was replayed from scratch and they still lost the second time around.
Speaking of Real Kings, they’ve finally moved off the bottom of the table at Witbank Spurs’ expense. Will Shakes Mashaba’s boys turn their fortunes around this weekend? Let’s take a look…
Saturday 30 March
Real Kings 9/2
Draw 24/10
Ajax Cape Town 6/10
Real Kings will be hoping to topple another promotion-chasing team after surprising Stellenbosch before the FIFA International break. The Magic Boys are now 15th on the log and will be eyeing to move out of the relegation zone.
After dropping points in the goalless draw against Richards Bay, Ajax Cape Town are now third on the log and four points off the pace. This is a must-win game for them if they want to solidify their position in the top three. Rejuvenated Real Kings should be able to hold Ajax to a draw at home.
Royal Eagles 6/10
Draw 24/10
Cape Umoya 9/2
Royal Eagles are now only three points off the top of the table and a victory could see them piling even more pressure on Stellenbosch at the summit of the standings. They have won three of their last five games.
Cape Umoya head into this one off the back of their Nedbank Cup clash with TS Galaxy and fatigue could be a factor unless they manage the workload wisely. Eagles are title contenders and they should collect maximum points at home.
Ubuntu Cape Town 14/10
Draw 2/1
TS Sporting 18/10
Ubuntu Cape Town are among the league’s whipping boys as they sit one spot above the relegation zone. They have lost half of their games which shows how shambolic their season has been. TS Sporting finally snapped their five-match winless run when they beat Witbank Spurs 2-0, condemning them to the foot of the table. There isn’t much to choose between these two sides and I foresee them sharing the spoils.
Witbank Spurs 2/1
Draw 2/1
Tshakhuma 13/10
Shakes Mashaba’s Witbank Spurs are winless in regulation time in their last eight games across all competitions and that has seen them plummet to the bottom of the log. The time is now to turn things around if they are to avoid relegation.
Tshakhuma have been inconsistent this season with nine wins, eight draws and seven loses. However, their log position (7th) clearly shows that they’ve been better than their opponents. Get on the visitors to win this one.
Sunday 31 March
Richards Bay 15/20
Draw 23/10
Jomo Cosmos 33/10
Richards Bay who flirted with promotion a few weeks ago now lie fifth with four points separating them from top three. They were so impressive the last time out when they held Ajax to a goalless draw in Cape Town.
Jomo Cosmos shockingly returned to winning ways when they beat Jomo Cosmos 1-0 last time out. That victory snapped a five-match winless run. I foresee the Natal Rich Boyz winning at home.
Stellenbosch 5/10
Draw 11/4
University of Pretoria 5/1
After going 18 league games without tasting defeat, Stellenbosch just slumped off form in the last three outings, drawing one and losing two. That has seen the huge gap between them and the chasing pack narrow to three points. AmaTuks are one of the most inconsistent teams this season and their 10th position is a clear indication of their situation. I foresee these two teams will cancel each other out.
TS Galaxy 14/10
Draw 2/1
Mbombela United 18/10
TS Galaxy head into this Mpumalanga derby off the back of a Nedbank Cup quarter-final clash with Cape Umoya and managing the workload would be key for Dan Malesela. Both teams have won two, lost two and drawn one of their last five games. A draw is on the cards.
Uthongathi 12/10
Draw 2/1
Maccabi 22/10
Uthongathi are now 10 points off the pace after shockingly losing to Jomo Cosmos. That was their first defeat in six league games. By a way of contrast, Maccabi snapped their eight-game winless run when they beat TS Galaxy 1-0. I think Galaxy were distracted by Nedbank Cup commitments and it won’t be that easy to play Uthongathi in KZN. Put your money on the Cane Cutters.
TREBLE @ 7/1
Ajax Win 6/10
Tshakhuma Win 13/10
Uthongathi Win 12/10
Written by @EggsBenedictZA
