Another weekend of DStv Premiership is upon us with just the six games to look forward to after the midweek trifecta that graced our screens.
On Friday, Maritzburg United look to keep up their red-hot streak at Harry Gwala Stadium when they entertain SuperSport United, while Orlando Pirates look to get back to winning ways against TS Galaxy in one of four Saturday fixtures. Lastly, Kaizer Chiefs and Marumo Gallants end off the round on Sunday.
Friday 9 September
14/10 Maritzburg United | Draw 19/10 | SuperSport United 49/20 (19:30)
Maritzburg United moved into the top eight last weekend after a memorable 1-0 victory over Orlando Pirates. That win maintained their unbeaten record at the Harry Gwala Stadium, while they have also conceded just twice in four matches on home soil. SuperSport United are in great form after claiming back-to-back wins over Mamelodi Sundowns and Richards Bay. Their unbeaten run also stretches three games back where they held Orlando Pirates to a goalless draw. My money is on a share of the spoils here.
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Saturday 10 September
7/10 AmaZulu | Draw 23/10 | Chippa United 17/4 (15:00)
AmaZulu is one of the early pacesetters despite failing to win in any of their previous two encounters. At the time of writing, Usuthu is second on the table and will have two games in hand over Royal AM by the time they face Chippa United on Saturday. The Chilli Boys are rooted to the foot of the table and have very little to gloat about besides beating Pirates. AmaZulu looks like a decent bet at 7/10.
13/10 Swallows | Draw 2/1 | Stellenbosch 22/10 (15:00)
The Lucas Moripe Stadium draws back its curtains as Swallows host Stellenbosch in what looks like one of the toughest games to call this weekend. The Dube Birds are in the top eight at the time of writing and have a decent record in front of their home crowd, winning two of the three matches. Stellies have had better starts in their lifetime and have lost back-to-back games. They’re deep into the bottom half of the table and offer very little optimism going into their visit to Gauteng. I fancy another stalemate.
7/10 Orlando Pirates | Draw 23/10 | TS Galaxy 17/4 (17:30)
TS Galaxy was the first side to pull an upset this season, beating Mamelodi Sundowns early in August. They’ve lost only once in their last four games since that match. The biggest struggle for Galaxy this season has been scoring goals. They only have three goals in their previous six ties, which means they’re averaging 0.5 goals per game this season.
Fortunately, they have the best defensive record in the league, conceding just one goal. They compete against a side with similar traits, strong defense, and a low goal-scoring ratio. Galaxy will feel like they can pull another upset in this game and might revert to a low block and opt to hit Pirates using counter-attacks. Pirates play three center backs which always opens gaps at the back for pacey players, and the Rockets will look to exploit that. With that said, Pirates isn’t an easy side at Orlando Stadium, therefore I’ll put my money on a draw.
13/20 Sundowns | Draw 24/10 | Golden Arrows 9/2 (20:00)
Masandawana hasn’t had a ‘regular’ start to their season, with teams looking to challenge the champions this time. They have suffered two losses already, just six games into the season. Last term, they lost only thrice in 30 games. After getting off to a bad start, Abafana Besthende has picked up maximum points in their previous two games, which has seen them move to number 10 on the log at the time of writing.
It must also be noted that Arrows has beaten one of this season’s best-performing sides so far, AmaZulu. Arrows have enough quality to cause an upset here, but Sundowns will be looking to react after losing their previous game, and they will go for the kill in this game. Make sure to include the hosts in all multiples.
Sunday 11 September
7/2 Marumo Gallants | Draw 22/10 | Kaizer Chiefs 8/10 (15:00)
The pressure is mounting on both these sides this season. Despite losing once this season, Gallants have only managed to draw in their other five games in what’s also been a low-scoring season. They’re currently sorting out their technical staff after the dismissal or resignation of young coach Romain Folz. On the other hand, Kaizer Chiefs have only won twice this season and are stuck on the bottom half of the log. Chiefs have also struggled for goals this season, scoring the same total as Gallants so far but letting in more.
Amakhosi will most likely struggle to get a sniff at goal, too but they often play better against a side that doesn’t sit back all game. Gallants isn’t a team that relies on the low block to get results, but with a change in the technical team, we could see different tactics used to secure a win. Marumo Gallants are the only winless team in the division, so my money will be on the Glamour Boys.
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TREBLE @ 4/1
AmaZulu win 7/10
Sundowns win 13/20
Kaizer Chiefs win 8/10
