A win for Kaizer Chiefs Football Club (FC) and a loss for Mamelodi Sundowns FC before they cross swords on Saturday’s DStv Premiership League has raised expectations on the former and cast doubt on the latter. They are meeting in the early stages of the first round with two games played so far with a win and equally a loss apiece. It is a draw pundits would not want for these nascent league charges. Nevertheless, it is a symbolic calendar match for the fans and revelers, not so much for its higher stakes, but for its enticing prospects as an enthralling jostle.

Saturday | August 13, 2022

The two giants of South African Football face-off in a herculean marathon to the most wanted prize in the Premier Soccer League (PSL) trophies hunt.

Mamelodi Sundowns brace themselves in a date against the full-with-purpose Kaizer Chiefs at 15h00 South African Time.

The setting for this highly anticipated encounter is at the inviting Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria on a Saturday afternoon. It is an epic game which football legions and enthusiasts posit that it is pregnant with promise.

For the Brazilians, the home side, this is the venue they stumbled on to a lowly rated TS Galaxy FC on Wednesday night. They descend into this mouthwatering clash still smarting from the rude awakening Rhulani Mokeona, the co-coach at Sundowns alongside both coach Manqoba Mngqithi and Steve Komphela, was at loss to explain precisely what really happened.

Brimming with confidence from their Tuesday massive 3-0 victory against out-of-soughts Maritzburg United FC, Chiefs set their sights on acing yet another bounty (3 points) on the taking. They will be honouring this league fixture as visitors and should expect nothing less than a hostile reception in a sold-out affair.

Meanwhile both clubs have stumbled once since the beginning of the league last week, they have also had one win under their belts. On this score, they are on par in respect of three points apiece. A draw in today’s match-up will result in sharing the spoils – a point each.

Recent ties

Sundowns have had the upper hand in the previous league season where Chiefs suffered a 2-0 loss in the corresponding fixture and managed a 1-1 draw in the second round. Not quite an outright dominance at the very least. Again, as far as performance go, Chiefs were in disarray. This was in the 2021/2022 league edition.

That said, they have regrouped in the new season under the tutelage of Arthur Zwane. Or so it seems. If their two first games are any hint, albeit a loss in them, they look refreshed and a team ready to compete.

To their advantage, Zwane is their former midfield star who notched up some remarkable milestones when successful coaches adorned the Chiefs dugout. That can not be a bad thing. He has the benefit of this rich history behind him and, (he) tested triumph not once but several times. Therefore, Arthur Zwane has earned his stripes, so to speak.

Acquisitions

The dominance of Sundowns for almost 10 league seasons is well documented. On paper, they are the most threatening club in the PSL. They have been crowned the league champions for the past five successive seasons unperturbed.

However, this is a new league campaign and all teams are starting on an equal footing. It is apparent that every team they meet is determined to upset the apple cut. As to say, in a way, they are not invisible. They are beatable. Given their stranglehold on the league, it should not come as no surprise and there is no gain concluding that they are, indeed, the team to beat.

On the other hand, Amakhosi [Chiefs] brought in attackers in the Ashley Du Preeze mold and Siyethemba Sithebe to bolster the midfield and Zitha Kwinika in defence.

Whether they have signed sufficient players to compete for the whole season it is open for debate. One thing though, Chiefs can not be faulted for trying. Their previous acquisitions have been damp squibs.

The Brazilians are still the formidable club known to be in the PSL. On Saturday, they return to the stadium to launch yet another league defence. For their part, they added the Ethiopian striker Abubakar Nasser and brought in Ronwen Williams in goals along with Sipho Mbule in midfield among others. 

There is a voluminous punditry about whether Sundowns needed these players to their bloated arsenal of stars. As things stand, that is the current situation at the club.

League marathon

Bar the Friday Aug. 12 games, for the most part, the 2022/2023 has seen two fixtures on display. There are many more games to determine the ultimate league victors.

Regarding today’s clash of the titans, will the SA soccer fans witness the making of the coronation of the new champions or will it be more of the familiar perennial contenders? 

Chiefs are on a prowl away from their base to lay a claim to the title that has evaded them for the past seven seasons. On Saturday, they carry on to end this long dry league spell. Will Sundowns succumb to the gauntlet and forfeit what has become commonplace?

For all it is worth, here we are. The league race has begun. In it, the Sundowns-Chiefs tug-of-war has never been short of spectacle.

Saturday | Aug. 13 DStv Premiership League Fixtures:

Stellenbosch FC vs Royal AM at Danie Craven Stadium (Stellenbosch) – 15h00     

Marumo Gallants FC vs Golden Arrows FC at Peter Mokaba Stadium (Polokwane) – 15h00 Richards Bay FC vs Sekhukhune United FC at  King Goodwill Zwelithini Stadium (Durban) – 17h30     

AmaZulu FC vs Cape Town City FC at Moses Mabhida Stadium (Durban) – 20h00 

Sunday | Aug. 14 DStv Premiership League Fixtures:

Orlando Pirates FC vs Chippa United FC at Orlando Stadium (Soweto) – 15h00

TS Galaxy FC vs SuperSport United FC at Mbombela Stadium (Nelspruit) – 17h30