DStv Premiership Preview: Loftus Stadium Hosts Clash of Titans as Sundowns Face Pirates, While Chiefs Take on Royal AM

With that said, coach Hugo Broos might be asking himself where was this compassion and respect from the PSL when his requests to visit clubs and meet with coaches were denied.

The weekend fixtures are set to continue as expected and here is a preview of the action:

The PSL programme begins with a clash between top four sides SuperSport United and Stellenbosch on Friday. SuperSport’s blistering start was eventually halted midway through the season, with their opponents Stellenbosch rising to fourth place in the log standings before the league was postponed in respect to the AFCON. Sitting third in the log, Gavin Hunt’s charges were decimated 3-1 by relegation contenders Richards Bay in their last fixture of 2023 and had lost two in their previous four matches.

Stellenbosch were the most in-form team in the league before the AFCON break, winning six of their seven matches in all competitions. Strong in defence and vibrant in attack, Stellies went on to win the inaugural Carling Knockout Cup in December 2023. Their rise to fourth place was no fluke for the Cape Winelands side who came from two nil down to defeat Pirates by three goals in their last fixture.

Supersport edged the reverse fixture 2-1 at the Danie Craven Stadium. Both teams are blessed with potent attackers capable of the extraordinary moments. Stellenbosch weakness in the past seasons has been their goalkeeping department, which makes them unable to keep clean sheets. I expect the hosts to be shaky at the back owing to their defensive injuries. Both teams will find the back of the net here.

Cape Town City completed the turnaround of the season in the first 15 league fixtures, rising from 12th place to second on the log in a space of two months. Eric Tiinkler’s men solidified their presence at the top with a resilient draw against Sundowns, becoming the first side to halt the Brazilians’ winning 12 game winning run in the process.

Having lost the first encounter 2-1 away from home, the Chilli Boys are in desperate need of points as they languish at 13th place, five points above Richards Bay in 15th place. The newly hired inexperienced duo of Thabo September and Kwanele Kopo will surely know the danger of failing to produce decent results in Port Elizabeth.

With a record of seven victories in the past nine league outings, the odds points to a comfortable win for the away side. City are unbeaten against the Chilli Boys in their past five meetings, winning three of them. I do not see a great start for September and his men, regardless of home advantage. Back City and the Double Chance option.

The Dube Birds are expected back on the grass on Saturday in the aspect that their internal issues have been sorted. They will face a Polokwane City side that sits at 10th place in the league, one point below them in the race for the MTN 8 qualifying spots.

Swallows lost the first encounter in Polokwane and look vulnerable this time around with their squad depleted after more than 22 players were released in December. Polokwane may look to capitalise on the uncertainty surrounding the Dube Birds at the moment.

Deadly on the counter and in transition, Rise and Shine are heavily reliant on topscorer Oswin Appollis who has recently returned with the national team. The cautious game plan that is adopted by these two clubs suggest we may be treated to a low scoring affair that may end up in a draw. Get on the Additional totals (Under 1.5) for a lucrative return on this fixture.

Two teams with contrasting fortunes and aspirations meet in Cape Town in a six pointer that will either team on their cause. A win for Cape Town Spurs will boost their survival hopes as they remain rooted to the bottom of the table having collected four points. The Urban Warriors have been decimated on their return to the top division, suffering 14 defeats from 16 fixtures.

AmaZulu on the other hand, are trying to solidify their top eight position and a win could see them jump to fifth on the standings. Coach Cijimpi seemed to have found the right formula before the AFCON break, recording a decent 10 points out of a possible 18.

I expect AmaZulu to dominate this match and capitalize on the hosts’ shaky backline. Spurs returned with a point from Durban when these two last met in December but I don’t see them getting much from this game. Get on the Double Chance and Away option at a decent price.

This is a fixture that very few punters will place bets on. Both teams play the typical counter-approach and rarely take the initiative during matches. Sitting 12th and 15th on the log standings respectively, both teams will risk falling into a relegation scrap in case of unfavourable results from other bottom-half teams in the second round of the campaign. The fixture is evenly matched on head to head, both teams winning once in three games.

With the reverse fixture ending with a goal apiece at King Zwelithini Stadium, the home side are expected to do much better in this game. They have blown hot and cold this season, which can be attributed to their CAF Confederations Cup commitments. I don’t see goals in this fixture as I believe it will be a cagey affair. The Home & Draw looks attractive in case you don’t want to give a straight win for either side.

When the midweek fixtures were cancelled, the next big talking point was the mouth-watering fixture between Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates. Loftus Stadium will host this clash of two titans, expected to be a fiery contest.

Thembinkosi Lorch returns to face his former side after his shock deadline day move and may well have a case to prove. Sundowns completed a league double over Pirates last season and have dominated this fixture in the past. Downs have comfortably won seven consecutive games in that spell.

Sundowns’ recent record in this fixture plus their 1-0 win in the first round gives the hosts the upper hand. Pirates have yet to gel this season although they defeated Sundowns in the MTN 8 final in September. I believe the difference in quality and mentality will show in the match and Sundowns will edge it. I suspect a narrow win for the home side.

Kaizer Chiefs will resume their league campaign with a visit to Harry Gwala Stadium to face Royal AM. Thwihli Thwahla are in the midst of a relegation fight as they lie in 14th position, 14 points above Cape Town Spurs at the bottom of the table. Amakhosi ended the first round in better spirits, rising to sixth on the log despite a slow start to the season.

Both teams looked to have turned a corner before the AFCON Break. The Glamour Boys were on a four game unbeaten run, winning three games in that process.  Royal AM collected 10 points from a possible 18 in six game run.

The home team boast a better head to head record in this fixture, winning seven in the previous 20 clashes. Chiefs have emerged victorious in five games only. Royal AM will get something from this game, although a win is unlikely. Back Royal AM on the Double Chance.

Galaxy produced a stunning 4-0 win when these two last met at Mbombela Stadium in the 2022/23 season. The Rockets continued on that trend in December, recording a 2-0 victory over Abafana Bes’thende in the league. Sead Ramovic’s side are ninth on the log, two points behind Arrows in seventh place.

The AFCON break couldn’t have come at a better time for coach Mabhudi Khenyeza after witnessing his side lose six consecutive league games in November/December. That poor run of form saw them relinquish their position behind Sundowns and drop to seventh on the log.

Arrows are an open book, attacking in numbers and shack at the back. I don’t recall Arrows keeping a clean sheet in their previous 10 games, a vulnerable point that will be exploited by the home side. We might witness a few goals in this game, back the Over 1.5 totals.