Bottom-rooted Cape Town Spurs have appointed the experienced Ernst Middendorp as head coach. He meets Royal AM in his first game, and we are eager to see if he can bring positive changes to the club and move them away from the drop zone.
Saturday, November 25
12/10 AmaZulu | Draw 2/1 | Stellenbosch 22/10 (15:10)
Usuthu will be heading to this match high on confidence after claiming back-to-back victories on their Kwazulu-Natal rivals Lamontville Golden Arrows, scoring six goals, and only conceding one. They also have a score to settle against the Western Cape side as they suffered a 2-0 defeat in their last meeting. Augustine Chidi Kwem came in and displayed a great showing when he came on in the 71-minute and scored a hat-trick. Pablo Franco as well as the AmaZulu faithful will be relying on him to replicate this performance.
Stellies on the other side are fighting their way to the top eight, they are currently eleventh on the log with 14 points and a win against Usuthu will see them climbing the table into the top eight. They have not faced defeated in their past five matches and will be looking to extend this run at the expense of AmaZulu. Jayden Adams, Iqraam Rayners, and Devin Titus have been instrumental in Steve Barker’s effort towards lifting their first trophy with the Western Cape side. They are currently in the semi-finals of the Carling Knockout Cup. I see this match ending in a draw.
9/2 Richards Bay | Draw 24/10 | Orlando Pirates 6/10 (15:30)
Richards Bay will be looking to score back-to-back victories over the Buccaneers, they defeated them on penalties when they clashed in the quarterfinals of the Carling Knockout Cup. This a must-win match for Kaitano Tembo’s men to be able to move away from the relegation zone. They are currently number 15 on the log with nine points having had a rocky start to the season. In their twelve opening league fixtures they have won twice, played three draws, and lost seven times. We look to see if they can be able to turn things around.
Orlando Pirates are fresh off a resounding 1-0 victory over their Soweto rivals Kaizer Chiefs and will be heading to this match in search of three back-to-back wins. They have a score to settle having been knocked out of the Carling Knockout Cup by the Richards Bay side. My money is on Orlando Pirates
2/1 Cape Town Spurs | Draw 2/1 | Royal AM 13/10 (17:45)
Bottom of the log Spurs recently announced the much-experienced Ernst Middendorp as their new Head Coach, he is expected to use his wisdom and experience to rescue the relegation-threatened team from the bottom of the log. The Cape Town side has registered one victory in eleven games and suffered defeats in ten games. They are expected to use their home-ground advantage to put out a strong fight against Royal AM and bag the much-needed three points.
Thwihli Thwahla will be looking to redeem themselves at the expense of Cape Town Spurs after suffering a 2-0 loss in their clash against Cape Town City. Royal AM has had a bad start to their 2023/24 campaign and is currently number 14 on the log with 11 points and are desperate to turn things around to be safe from relegation. Cape Town Spurs to win this match.
Sunday, November 26
15/10 Moroka Swallows | Draw 19/10 | Kaizer Chiefs 7/4 (15:30)
Moroka Swallows have had a good start to the season having tasted defeat only twice in their ten opening fixtures. They are currently amongst the top five clubs that are vying for the DStv Premiership league title and a win against Amakhosi will see them narrowing the gap between them and log leaders Mamelodi Sundowns. Swallows Coach Steve Komphela is familiar with the Naturena side as he used to be their head coach before partying ways with the team. The last meeting between the two ended in a 2-1 victory for the Dube Birds and it will be interesting to see if they can shock the Chiefs again.
Kaizer Chiefs on the other hand will be aiming to avoid back-to-back defeats after suffering a 1-0 defeat against Orlando Pirates in the Soweto derby. This is a chance for them to redeem themselves and also collect the much-needed three points that will take them to the top half of the table. However, a win against Swallows is easier said than done. Chiefs are currently tenth on the log having suffered three defeats and won two out of their recent five league games. They are desperate to turn things around and start avoiding defeats. I see Swallows causing an upset in this match.
23/10 TS Galaxy | Draw 21/10 | Polokwane 11/10 (15:30)
The Rockets will be looking to put a stop to Polokwane’s momentum. The Limpopo side has yet to taste defeat in their last eight league matches. They are currently sixth on the log with 17 points while Galaxy is sitting in the 13th place with 12 points. They are heading to this match on the back of two consecutive defeats and are expected to come out strong to avoid a third loss. Samir Nurkovic has cemented his place in coach Sead Ramovic’s set-up having scored some crucial goals for the team, and he is the man that is expected to trouble the City defence.
Rise and Shine recently parted ways with their head coach Lehlohonolo Seema and it will be interesting to see if this change will not affect the impressive performance that they have been showing since the season started. On-form Oswin Appollis has been very instrumental in the team’s success, he even earned a national team call-up. Polokwane is to win this match.
14/10 Golden Arrows | Draw 2/1| Cape Town City 18/10 (17:45)
Abafana Bes’thende recently suffered two back-to-back league defeats which has seen them drop to fourth place on the log. They dropped crucial points which would have seen them topping the DStv Premiership table. They will be seeking to regroup and start collecting points to stay in the title race when they face the high-flying Cape Town City who have won their previous five league games and climbed the table to the number two spot.
Eric Tinkler on the other hand will be looking for his sixth consecutive victory which may see his side topping the table. This will not be an easy match for him as Arrows has proven to be a side not to go down easily, they shocked them to a 3-1 defeat in their last meeting which saw them being eliminated in the Carling Knockout Cup. This is a grudge match for the Cape Town side, and they are expected to fight tooth and nail for a victory. I see Cape Town City extending their winning run.
