Our football analyst previews the PSL Week 17 action which kicks off on Friday 12 January 2018.
The exciting business end of the PSL season is finally here! Each team has a clear picture of what’s at stake as we head into the crucial run-in. Cape Town City and Free State Stars are hot on the heels of Mamelodi Sundowns, with Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates also in the thick of the chase. Meanwhile, Bidvest Wits, Platinum Stars, and Ajax Cape Town are fighting fiercely to avoid relegation. What drama will gameweek 17 bring? Let’s find out!
Friday 12 January
Ajax Cape Town 12/10 | Draw 2/1 | Platinum Stars 23/10
Ajax Cape Town’s coach, Muhsin Ertugral, is back for his fourth spell and is eager to turn things around after a tough 2-1 loss to Maritzburg United despite leading at halftime. Fagrie Lakay, on loan from SuperSport United, has dazzled with his skills, creating chances and injecting hope into the squad.
Platinum Stars sit just two points ahead of their rivals who are battling to stay up, making this a nail-biting relegation showdown. After conceding late in a 1-0 loss to Cape Town City, Dikwena are desperate to bounce back. Expect a tightly contested game with both sides cancelling each other out.
Maritzburg United 12/10 | Draw 2/1 | Bloemfontein Celtic 23/10
Maritzburg have won three of their last five and showed great resilience last week by overturning a goal deficit to defeat Ajax Cape Town away. Their solid defence, anchored by Bevan Fransman and Siyanda Xulu, pairs well with the strike partnership of Evans Rusike and Deolin Mekoa.
Bloemfontein Celtic, five points behind, have regained their fighting spirit since their Telkom Knockout final loss, powering to an impressive victory over Golden Arrows. Loan star Lorenzo Gordinho and upcoming talent Billy Maema are settling well. Back the visitors to clinch this one.
Saturday 13 January
Mamelodi Sundowns 1/1 | Draw 21/10 | Orlando Pirates 26/10
Mamelodi Sundowns have hit a rough patch with defeats against Cape Town City and Polokwane City, but they’ll rely on their star Percy Tau to turn things around. Their brilliant recent record over Orlando Pirates includes five consecutive league wins against them.
Pirates have squad concerns due to the suspension of Thabo Matlaba, but they exploded with three goals last week, their best performance since March last year. Fitness returns for Thabo Qalinge bring hope, though injuries keep others sidelined. This clash is likely to end in a hard-fought draw.
Free State Stars 13/10 | Draw 2/1 | Cape Town City 21/10
Quality coaching under Luc Eymael has propelled Free State Stars into third place, with four wins in their last five matches including a win over Bidvest Wits. They face a tough test against Benni McCarthy’s Cape Town City, who are just a point ahead after a late winner over Platinum Stars. Expect a tactical battle with Cape Town City slightly favoured.
Kaizer Chiefs 9/10 | Draw 22/10 | Polokwane City 29/10
Kaizer Chiefs gave a debut to young Siphosakhe Ntiya-Ntiya in their recent goalless draw against SuperSport United. The competition for places between new signings Siphelele Ntshangase and Pule Ekstein will be fierce. A setback came when Kabelo Mahlasela was injured early in training.
Polokwane City caused waves with a stunning 3-2 win over Sundowns last week completing a double over the champions. Previous matches between these two teams have been closely fought with three draws and a win apiece over five games. Another draw is on the cards here.
Sunday 14 January
Baroka FC 8/10 | Draw 23/10 | AmaZulu 33/10
Baroka started strong, winning the first quarter prize, but recent form has dipped with only one win in five. They lost key player Siphelele Ntshangase to Kaizer Chiefs and suffered a 3-1 loss to Orlando Pirates last week.
AmaZulu aim for their first win over Baroka in Limpopo after a tough run of eight matches without success. Their first game back ended 2-0 against Chippa United. Backing Baroka to snatch the win here.
Chippa United 8/10 | Draw 23/10 | Bidvest Wits 33/10
Under coach Teboho Moloi, Chippa United are climbing steadily, currently 7th, playing exciting football with signings like Thabo Rakhale and Mark Mayambela. They recently beat AmaZulu 2-0 to end a poor run.
Bidvest Wits remain bottom of the table with poor results and ongoing struggles. After the festive break, they lost 1-0 to Free State Stars. A brave call here to tip Chippa to win at home.
Golden Arrows 12/10 | Draw 2/1 | SuperSport United 23/10
Golden Arrows are struggling with a 12-game winless streak, and will face a tough SuperSport United side. Coach Clinton Larsen criticised their poor performance against Celtic but hopes their second-half surge signals improvement.
SuperSport United are also on a six-match winless streak, and their striker Jeremy Brockie has been off the scoresheet recently amid transfer rumours. This fixture looks poised for a draw.
TREBLE @ 16/1
Baroka Win 8/10
Sundowns vs Pirates Draw 21/10
Cape Town City Win 21/10
