PREVIEW: 2023/24 DStv Premiership – Week 10

With the international break behind and cup competitions taking a back seat for a while, it is time for the DStv Premiership race to continue. Here is a preview of this week’s Dstv Premiership round of fixtures.

Amantsantsantsa will be looking to redeem themselves after they were embarrassed by Polokwane United who defeated them 4-1 during the first round of the Carling Knockout Cup. They will be looking to bounce back to their winning ways at the expense of Royal AM. Gavin Hunt’s men are currently sitting in the third position on the log and will be aiming for a win to be able to stay in the title race. Their last league match was against the struggling Cape Town City which they defeated 2-1 with Bradley Grobler scoring a brace. SuperSport will be relying on Grobler to score goals that will see them bagging all three points.

Royal AM are coming to this match at the back of three back-to-back losses, having suffered two defeats in the league, they lost 1-0 twice to Sekhukhune in the league as well as on the Carling Knockout Cup and fell 1-0 short of Polokwane City. They have not managed to score in their last four matches. Coach John Maduka will need to pay special attention to his striking force to be able to score winning goals because lately, they have proven to be shy in the face of goal. I back SuperSport to come out victorious in this match.

The 2023/24 MTN8 champions will now turn their focus on the league to face the on-form Polokwane City who have proven not to be a side to be taken lightly. They had a rocky start to the season having lost their opening match 1-0 to Stellenbosch FC, they were also defeated 1-0 by Mamelodi Sundowns in their last league match. The Bucks are currently fourteenth on the log with seven points, having played five games, won two, lost two and also played a 1-1 draw against Chippa in one of their matches. They are desperate for a win to be able to climb the table. 

Polokwane have won three out of four of their last four clashes including a 4-1 win against SuperSport United in the Carling Knockout Cup. Rise and Shine is currently fifth on the log with fourteen points. They have not been able to defeat the Pirates in their previous five games. I see the Pirates winning this clash. 

Cape Town Spurs recently restructured their coaching department in an effort to turn things around and start avoiding defeats. The newly appointed Spurs coach Sean Connor who is taking over from Shaun Bartlett who lost all seven opening games is expected to turn things around but has been finding it hard to produce the required results as he has suffered defeats in both games since being at the helm. 

The Stellies are coming to this match on the back of two back-to-back wins, having scored five goals and only conceded one goal. They defeated Chippa United 2-1 in the Carling Knockout Cup, and they demolished TS Galaxy 3-0 in their last league encounter. They will be aiming to continue with their winning ways to be able to move into the top-eight half of the log. Stellenbosch will walk away victorious on this one.

Golden Arrows have started the season like a house on fire, they are currently second on the log. They have won five of their eight opening fixtures, two ended in a draw and they have tasted defeat once at the hands of the defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns. Arrows had a great showing defeating Cape Town City 3-1 in the Carling Black Label Knockout Cup; they are expected to continue with the impressive football that they have been playing lately.

Troubled Kaizer Chiefs were recently knocked out of the Carling Black Label Knockout Cup after they suffered a 1-0 defeat to AmaZulu. The loss saw them changing their coaching department by bringing in Cavin Johnson as the Interim Coach. This will be Johnson’s first match at the helm, and we are eager to see if he can turn things around for the Glamour Boys. Arrows will win this match.

Chippa United are coming this match at the back of a 2-1 defeat by Stellenbosch FC and they will be aiming to use this match to regroup and avoid a second consecutive defeat. However, a win against AmaZulu is easier said than done. This is a grudge match for the Chilli boys as they suffered a 2-0 defeat in their last encounter with Usuthu.

AmaZulu is heading to this match boasting with confidence after defeating the Soweto Giants Kaizer Chiefs 1-0 and booking their place in the quarterfinals of the Carling Black Label Knockout Cup. They will now have to shift their focus on the league and ensure that they secure points and climb the table as the eleventh spot that they are currently sitting on is too close to the relegation zone. I see this clash ending in a draw.

Kaitano Tembo’s men are currently placed second from the bottom of the log with six points. They had a bad start to the season having lost five out of nine of their opening fixtures, three fixtures ended in draws and they have only managed to win one match. They recently defeated Moroka Swallows 2-1 in the Carling Black Label Knockout Cup and will be expected to turn things around and start winning matches to be able to move away from the relegation zone. The Rich Boyz suffered a 2-0 defeat in their last league encounter with the Citizens and they will be looking to avoid a second consecutive loss.

Cape Town City are currently sixth on the log with thirteen points. A win is vital for them to stay in the title race. Before the international break, City were undefeated in their past three league matches. They played a goalless draw against TS Galaxy, defeated Cape Town All Stars 3-1 in the first Cape Town Derby of this season and shocked the country when they shocked Kaizer Chiefs by defeating them 1-0 at FNB Stadium. This is an interesting fixture and there’s no obvious winner, but I see City coming out victorious.

The defending champions will be looking to continue with their dominance in the league. They started their 2023/2024 campaign on a high note having won all their eight opening fixtures. This has landed them at the top of the table with twenty-four points. However, this will be a difficult encounter for them because Swallows is currently managed by their former Coach Steve Komphela who is familiar with their tactics and playing style.

The Birds will be heading to this match with a score to settle after they were knocked out of the MTN 8 Cup by Sundowns who defeated them 1-0 in a controversial match that saw Andile Jali get sent off after a dangerous tackle on Kuliso Mudau. Swallows have only tasted defeat twice in the league this season and this shows that they are a side that refuses to go down easily. I back Sundowns to win.

The Rockets have struggled to secure a win in their past five league fixtures. They are currently twelfth on the log with nine points. They are desperate to turn things around and start collecting points. I am hoping that they will use their win against Mamelodi Sundowns in the Carling Black Label Knockout Cup as motivation to improve their performance. Coach Sead Ramovic has proven to be a great tactician and the addition of Samir Nurkovic and Vladimir Siladi to the striking department will surely produce the much-needed goals for Galaxy.

Sekhukhune United are coming to this match highly motivated after defeating Royal AM 1-0 in the Carling Black Label Knockout Cup this past Saturday. This may be a turning point for them as they have been struggling to win matches in the league having suffered four defeats and won three out of their nine league matches with the other two ending in ties. I see this match ending in a draw.