21 January 2011
With just one point covering the top three positions in South Africas Absa Premiership, Round 16 of the league, which takes place this weekend, promises to produce more thrills and spills in one of the most intriguing title races in years.
All of the top four have potentially difficult games to negotiate this weekend, so we well could see a new leader on the top of the log, or perhaps fourth placed Ajax Cape Town, who suffered a 3-0 defeat to Maritzburg United in midweek, will close back in on the leading trio of Mamelodi Sundowns, Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates.
Leaders Sundowns will face local rivals SuperSport United away from home in the Pretoria/Tshwane derby on Saturday evening, though the match will actually be played at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane, with SuperSport having signed a deal to play some high profile home games (including their CAF Champions League ties) in South African northern-most province, Limpopo.
At the same time, third-placed Orlando Pirates have a seemingly easy home game against Bidvest Wits, who havent won a match since mid-November last year. However, Bucs would do well not to underestimate the Clever Boys, who tend to up their game when they face the leagues biggest teams.
By the time Sundowns and Pirates play, Ajax could well have moved up into second place with a win away to Platinum Stars on Saturday afternoon. Yet the Urban Warriors came unstuck in their away game in midweek and Stars are unbeaten in their last eight matches, so it is certainly not going to be a gimme for the Cape side.
Kaizer Chiefs face a tough trip away to Bloemfontein Celtic on Sunday. The Free State side are unbeaten at home and were unlucky not to defeat Sundowns in midweek, yet the Soweto giants have already overcome Celtic twice this season in league and cup encounters. The Amakhosi could find themselves under pressure to keep pace with the leaders come Sunday, or they may even have the opportunity to go top, depending on results elsewhere.
The other key game of the weekend sees Moroka Swallows host AmaZulu. The Birds, struggling down in the relegation zone, have won two games in a row and can close to within a point of third-from-bottom AmaZulu if they beat the KwaZulu-Natal side on Sunday.
Absa Premiership fixtures, Round 16:
Saturday, January 22
Golden Arrows v Maritzburg United
Platinum Stars v Ajax Cape Town
Vasco da Gama v Free State Stars
Orlando Pirates v Bidvest Wits
Santos v Black Aces
SuperSport United v Mamelodi Sundowns
Sunday, January 23
Bloemfontein Celtic v Kaizer Chiefs
Moroka Swallows v AmaZulu
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