SuperSport, Pirates look to make up ground

by Graeme Jackson

Friday Mar 05, 2021. 10:00

SuperSport United and Orlando Pirates will look to make up ground in the DStv Premiership title race when they face TS Galaxy and Chippa United respectively as part of six top-flight league matches across South Africa this weekend.

Second-placed SuperSport are three points back from leaders Mamelodi Sundowns, with Pirates just a further point behind, and the duo will be looking to take full advantage of the Brazilians’ continued absence from the Premiership due to CAF Champion League commitments.

Both United and the Buccaneers will have played four more matches than ‘Downs by the end of this weekend, but with fixtures stacking up across three competitions, there is no guarantee the reigning champions will convert their games in hand into points.

SuperSport, who host an in-form Galaxy on Friday, have slipped into a lean run of form after a 1-0 loss against AmaZulu this past midweek stretched their winless run to three games.

Pirates, by contrast, beat Bloemfontein Celtic 1-0 on Tuesday and appear to be coming out the other side of an injury crisis for their strikers, with both Frank Mhango and Tshegofatso Mabasa making substitute appearances against Phunya Sele Sele.

A win at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Saturday evening would see Bucs move to within a point of the summit, but coach Josef Zinnbauer is not interested in title talk at this stage of the campaign.

“We have not enough points we can talk about the top of the log. It’s not possible. We look from game to game. We have also the cup in the handbag. We have to see what happens in the future. When we come closer, we can talk about title,” said the German.

Saturday also features a derby between Cape Town City and Stellenbosch FC, as well as Maritzburg United looking to further boost their survival hopes with a win away to Bloemfontein Celtic. The Team of Choice will hope their midweek win over fellow strugglers Black Leopards proves a turning point in their season.

Sunday sees Swallows FC, who suffered their first league defeat of the season in midweek then they succumbed to Galaxy, seeking to bounce back at home to Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila, while Leopards will aim for a second win over Golden Arrows in quick succession, having beaten the Durban club 2-1 away from home just last month.

DStv Premiership weekend fixtures

Friday 5 March

17:00: SuperSport United v TS Galaxy

Saturday 6 March

15:00: Cape Town City v Stellenbosch FC

17:00: Bloemfontein Celtic v Maritzburg United

17:00: Chippa United v Orlando Pirates

Sunday 7 March

15:30: Swallows FC v Tshakhuma TM

15:30: Black Leopards v Golden Arrows