Busy midweek in store for DStv Premiership

by Helder Ribiero

Tuesday Oct 18, 2022. 11:00

South Africa’s DStv Premiership returns to a full slate of fixtures this midweek, following two successive weekends of truncated action due to the qualifying rounds of the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup.

Log leaders and champions Mamelodi Sundowns have seen their advantage whittled down to mere goal difference over second-placed Richards Bay, and the Brazilians will be eager to continue their prolific goal-scoring form when they welcome Marumo Gallants to Loftus Versfeld on Wednesday, having put 15 goals past CAFCL opponents La Passe in their last two matches.

“Everybody is raising his hand,” said ‘Downs co-coach Manqoba Mngqithi. “I would not really only want to mention a few and leave the rest because I do believe that a lot of players are raising their hand to say they are willing and ready to help the team achieve its targets.”

Tuesday’s headline game sees Orlando Pirates head to Princess Magogo Stadium to take on Golden Arrows – with the Buccaneers under pressure after a run of just one win from their last five league matches.

“The fact that we sometimes lose points is not absolutely in relation to playing three at the back, two at the back or no one at the back,” said Pirates coach Jose Riveiro in the wake of a 1-1 draw with AmaZulu last weekend.

“There are some reasons we can explain, we can work on and the other reasons that we can’t explain. Football is a game where you also need luck in some other moments of the game.”

The midweek action also features a KwaZulu-Natal derby between AmaZulu and Maritzburg United, Richards Bay looking to extend their unbeaten run when they welcome Cape Town City to King Zwelithini Stadium, and Kaizer Chiefs hoping to bounce from a shock weekend defeat to Chippa United.

The Amakhosi will welcome TS Galaxy to FNB Stadium, with coach Arthur Zwane admitting that they had only themselves to blame for letting slip a one-goal lead in their 2-1 reverse at the hands of the Chilli Boys.

“I think we won the game before we even started. You could see at the beginning of the game we were a bit sluggish and we thought it was going to be an easy game,” said Zwane.

He added, “Even though we scored the goal, we didn’t dictate terms, we didn’t show character and we allowed them to do whatever they wanted to do.”

DStv Premiership midweek fixtures

Times CAT

Tuesday 18 October

17:00: Chippa United v Sekhukhune United

17:00: Stellenbosch FC v SuperSport United

19:30: Golden Arrows v Orlando Pirates

Wednesday 19 October

17:00: AmaZulu v Maritzburg United

19:30: Kaizer Chiefs v TS Galaxy

19:30: Swallows FC v Royal AM

19:30: Mamelodi Sundowns v Marumo Gallants

19:30: Richards Bay v Cape Town City