This weekend marks the beginning of a process of separating the wheat from the chaff, as the Absa Premier League enters a crucial stage, with four teams hitting the final straight that could result in either a photo finish with all four or with a further two teams falling by the wayside.
Ajax Cape Town, second on the table but on an equal 56 points with Orlando Pirates at the summit, get the ball rolling with a home fixture against the tricky AmaZulu on Friday, knowing that nothing less than victory will keep alive their chances of lifting their first Premiership trophy.
And a limping Pirates enter Orlando Stadium on Sunday for a showdown against the already deposed SuperSport United due to suspensions that have resulted in captain Lucky Lekgwathi, Isaac Chansa and goalkeeper Senzo Meyiwa watching the proceedings from the stands following an accumulation of three yellow cards and a red card for the latter during the Nedbank Cup last week.
But, in the match of the weekend, third-placed Kaizer Chiefs, three points adrift of both Ajax and Pirates, tackle their perennial nemesis Mamelodi Sundowns — in fourth place, five points behind the leaders but with a game in hand — at the Loftus Stadium in Pretoria on Sunday.
“Chiefs must be considered the favourites for this tie,” said Sundowns assistant coach Harold Legodi.
“Do not read much into what happened at the Nedbank Cup last week. They were eliminated by a second division team, Baroka, but it was a flash in the pan. I believe that 10 out of 10 times, should the two teams meet again, Chiefs would triumph.
“Chiefs are a quality side with a highly experienced coach. The fact that they defeated us 1-0 in the first round makes them the favourites going into this clash. But we have been working really hard and hopefully, we can win this clash because whoever loses this match must be considered out of the equation for the championship.”
Snap out of it
The Brazilians will troop onto the field without influential captain Esrom Nyandoro and sturdy centre-back Siyanda Xulu, both suspended for this clash. But they welcome back Luvhengo Mungomeni and Method Mwanjali, who could take up Xulu’s position in the heart of their defence, while Matthew Patterson could take up Nyandoro’s position.
Chiefs captain Jimmy Tau admitted that the loss against a third-tier team hurt and has been hard to accept. But they have to put it behind them and focus on the coming fixture against Sundowns in the full knowledge that a draw will almost certainly end their title hopes.
“We have to snap out of the pall of gloom that has descended on us,” said Tau. “Obviously, we cannot wish away last week’s loss against Baroka. It happened. We have to accept it and move on. We have a huge game coming up this weekend and we must keep our focus. We are fully aware of what is at stake and we have been working on how to counter Sundowns, who are obviously a quality side themselves.”
Yet, while the top teams are creating strategies for cancelling one another out, a brilliant coach whose middle name is, incidentally, Brilliant, finds himself in a position in which he could decide the destination of this year’s championship.
AmaZulu coach Manqoba Brilliant Mngqithi will see his team play Ajax Cape Town, Mamelodi Sundowns and Kaizer Chiefs in his final three matches and you can bet your bottom dollar that he will not be dispensing any favours to any of the title contenders.
“We have been in this kind of situation before, while I was with Golden Arrows,” said Mngqithi. “I remember two seasons ago, when SuperSport lost to Bloemfontein Celtic in their final match. At the same time, Ajax Cape Town needed to win, but we beat them and SuperSport won the league.
“We are up against three quality sides who are playing exceptionally well. But, as is the case all over the world, as a coach, sometimes you don’t need to motivate your players when you come up against teams in the top bracket of the league. The stage and the magnitude of the match motivates the players.”
‘I respect him’
But the situation looks worse for Pirates, with novice Jacob Mokhasi, third in the pecking order of goalkeepers, behind Moeneeb Josephs and Senzo Meyiwa, suddenly thrust into the spotlight and expected to man the poles against his former team, SuperSport United and Santos in Cape Town before Meyiwa’s suspension ends.
It is a critical stage in a championship in which experienced hands are needed, but while many predict that Pirates’ title ambitions could implode, United’s coach, Gavin Hunt, said he had worked with Mokhasi and while he had not yet proved himself in the elite division he is nonetheless confident that the greenhorn will not disappoint his employers.
“He’s a good lad,” said Hunt. “He works very hard and although he played for us in the African Champions League he faced stiff competition and we could not hold him. We allowed him to move elsewhere, but I respect him.”
United have never been an easy side and in spite of struggling throughout the year and at one stage hovering dangerously close to relegation, they bounced back in style to whip Santos 5-2.
This should be warning enough to Pirates to expect a bombardment for goalkeeper Mokhasi, who made his Pirates debut last week when Meyiwa was red carded.
Remaining games
- Ajax
April 29 — AmaZulu (h); May 7 — Kaizer Chiefs (a); May 21 — Maritzburg (h)
- Orlando Pirates
April 30 — SuperSport United (h); May 7 — Santos (a); May 21 — Golden Arrows (h)
- Mamelodi Sundowns
May 1 — Kaizer Chiefs (h); May 4 — AmaZulu (a); May 7 — Maritzburg United (a); May 21 — Bloemfontein Celtic (h)
- Kaizer Chiefs
May 1 — Mamelodi Sundowns (a); May 7 — Ajax Cape Town (h); May 21 — AmaZulu (a)