SOCCER
Thebe Mabanga
Santos enter a two-week period that may prove to be a litmus test for their season. They are sitting pretty on top of the log with 51 points from 27 games. Trouble is, hot on their heels are defending champions Orlando Pirates with two fewer points from the same number of games. What is more, they now have to venture into their first continental expedition when, as winners of last year’s Bob Save Super Bowl, they travel to Mozambique to play Maxaquenne in the Cup Winners’ Cup.
For Santos, the crunch comes when they return to the league where the final stretch sees teams hounded by relegation give the vicious kicks of a dying horse and fellow title contenders capitalise on slips like last Sunday’s, where Santos lost 2-1 to Cosmos, Andre Arendse to concussion and Sebastian Bax to a red card.
On their return, Gordon Igesund’s men host the stubborn and unpredictable Golden Arrows before travelling to the cauldron of Seshego in Polokwane to play the erratic Ria Stars. Then they host Amazulu, who are proving a resurgent force under the well-travelled Sheppard Murape. All this before Santos host the Mozambicans in the return leg of the cup.
The distractions will require Santos to summon their limited depth and resilience, not to mention Igesund’s industrious and talismanic touch. If they bag at least seven of the nine points in the league between continental fixtures, they should remain in touching distance, if not retain their position at the summit.
Pirates find themselves lying in wait to defend their league title at the same time as they are about to savour the fruits of winning it last season. They renew acquaintance with the competition they won in 1995 at home against St Louisienne of Runion.
The Buccaneers will draw strength from their recent good run of form, which has seen them drop all three points and fail to score on only one occasion since the beginning of this year a 3-0 drubbing at the feet of Mamelodi Sundowns. Only Ria Stars and Hellenic have prevented them from scoring in the same period.
Their fortunes have been transformed by the return from lengthy suspensions of Thabo Mngomeni and the tireless Benedict Vilakazi, along with Josep Ngake. Up front, Lesley Manyathela has been a revelation. Having caught fire against Chiefs with two goals in a 3-0 demolition job, he has raced to second on the goal scorers list with 14 goals. Most importantly, though, Pirates have been lifted by Steve Lekoelea.
The prodigal son returned from lengthy injury to something nearing top form. Here is a man who might just get a late ticket to Korea.
Kaizer Chiefs look to reignite a season that started with so much promise. Their 3-1 victory over Ajax in their last league outing might be a sign that they have their groove back.
Now they host Transfoot of Madagascar in defence of the Mandela Cup. They then travel to Cairo to play African Champion’s League winners Al Ahly of Egypt in the Super Cup and then on to Antananarivo for the return leg over Transfoot. After that, in late March, they travel to Swallows and then play Sundowns.