There are three Absa Premiership games tonight. They all kick off at 19h30.
Struggling Orlando Pirates welcome yet another battling side Polokwane City in the Absa Premiership league fixture at Orlando Stadium in Soweto Tuesday night on Nov. 26, 2019.
After 11 games, both clubs are equal on 13 points. Nevertheless, Pirates are 9th and the Rise and Shine are 10th on the log. The difference is that the Buccaneers have scored more goals compared to Polokwane City.
Again, the Rise and Shine are losing far more games – six of them at this juncture, i.e. over 50% of the matches they played. They journey to the dazzling lights of Johannesburg hoping to flick their dimly lights back to their natural allure for them to “rise” again in the Absa Premiership.
In the meantime, Pirates have an ambivalent season since the departure of their head coach Milutin “Micho” Sredojevic at the beginning of the 2019/20 league season. He helped Pirates finish second last season but in the current period, the wheels have really come off. Having lost four and drew four games, they sit with merely three wins. Not exactly the exhilarating championship jostling record.
For these reasons and many more, the Pirates-Polokwane game is on balance. The Buccaneers have the backyard support nonetheless. And in these trying times, their 12th-man may go a long way to spur the sparkleless team on its most dire need to resurgence.
Mamelodi Sundowns vs AmaZulu FC
Loftus Versfeld Stadium – The Telkom Knockout Cup finalists Mamelodi Sundowns return home from a Durban-rewarding trip to host Amazulu in a league clash this evening in Pretoria (at 19h30).
The defending champions are second in the Absa Premiership log with 18 points, 10 points behind leaders Kaizer Chiefs. Although Masandawana have a game in hand, they still have to shine a bit more to narrow down the gap in the league standings.
On the other hand, Usuthu have troubles of their own. Wins are hard to come by. That said, they might pose a threat or frustrate the fancied Sundowns in tonight’s league match. Better still, a shock result may ensue, no matter how strange that comes across. Therefore, Sundowns have a game, a game they need to competitively play before anything else this evening.
Marginally over two weeks ago Sundowns lost their league tie to Lamontville Golden Arrows they, in turn, dumped out of the TKO cup the past weekend to reach the Dec. 14 final. With a presumably warm reception in their home ground, Sundowns can not afford to suffer back-to-back losses in the league.
For now, clearly their league-title defense is in limbo. The weekend cup-game win (to reach the TKO final) will likely lift the Pretorians’ spirits with relative ease.
As it concerns the league, both Sundowns and AmaZulu are under pressure to accumulate maximum points with every coming match albeit for different reasons. Masandawana’ league defense is in trouble at the top while Usuthu, laying 15th on the log, are in desperate need for points to escape the dreaded drop and survive to fight for another season in the Premiership.
Highlands Park vs Bidvest Wits
In one of the most captivating duels tonight, Bidvest Wits travel to Tembisa, east of Johannesburg, to face the energetic Highlands Park club at its home base, Makhulong Stadium at 19h30.
The home team has been experiencing a rough patch with results not going their way. The Lions of the North will set out tonight to turn the tide at the expense of the rusty Wits.
Conversely, the Clever Boys [Wits] come to their second league encounter since Oct. 1, 2019, the 8th game of the season. Laying 5th with 15 points on the log, they trail Chiefs by 13 (points). If any consolation, Wits have four games in hand. Should they go on to win all (4), it will almost balance things up at the apex of the league.
Yet, starving of league games may jeopardize their championship chances as they may grapple with form. All matters conceded, the Tembisa legion of fans are in for a fascinating contest tonight.