Oozing optimism and bonhomie at the start of the season, Kaizer Chiefs, Orlando Pirates and Jomo Cosmos were all confident of winning the Premier Soccer League (PSL) crown.
Now, with the tail end of the season fast approaching, the three ambitious clubs are battling for their lives to gain a modest position among the top eight teams in the log and qualification for the Supa8 competition.
It is a far cry from their proclaimed intention to become champions — a singular honour achieved for the second successive year by Mamelodi Sundowns via a points margin that seems sure to stretch to double figures and more.
Under the circumstances, the PSL champions’ fixture against struggling Benoni Premier United at Germiston Stadium on Sunday would appear no more than a straightforward, routine victory for Sundowns.
Attention over the weekend will be more intensely focused on the games featuring Chiefs, Pirates and Cosmos, who will all be in serious difficulties as far as Supa8 qualification is concerned should they suffer defeat.
It is an uneasy situation that applies most forcibly to Chiefs, who are at present out of the top eight in the log and cannot afford anything less than a victory in an away game against relegation-doomed Maritzburg United. So seriously are the Amakhosi taking what appears a mundane fixture that buses and taxis by the dozen will be heading to KwaZulu-Natal to swell Chiefs’ support for their critical challenge.
And with their title memories long since banished, Pirates and Cosmos are in no position to feel assured of a place in the Supa8 competition while facing testing games against a tricky Golden Arrows and Ajax Cape Town respectively. — Sapa
Weekend PSL fixtures
Friday: Santos vs Moroka Swallows at Athlone Stadium (8pm)
Saturday: Silver Stars vs Wits University at Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace (3pm); Orlando Pirates vs Golden Arrows at Ellis Park (3.15pm); Jomo Cosmos vs Ajax Cape Town at Mehlareng Stadium (3pm)
Sunday: Supersport United vs Bloemfontein Celtic at Loftus (3pm); Maritzburg United vs Kaizer Chiefs at Harry Gwala Stadium (3.15pm); Benoni Premier United vs Mamelodi Sundowns at Germiston Stadium (3pm)