26 January 2011
Round 17 of the Absa Premiership is a little disjointed with two teams in the South African top flight having to take part in CAF competitions over the weekend of the 28th-30th of January.
This combined with the fact that one league match was postponed in the last round due to bad weather and a water logged pitch has resulted in two PSL matches taking place on Wednesday night and six taking place over the weekend.
First, before we get into round 17s action there is the slight importance of a match between Kaizer Chiefs and Bloemfontein Celtic. Their match was schedule for last week Sunday, but because of some heavy down pour the game was postponed to Wednesday.
The importance of this match is clearly evident because if the Amakhosi run out victorious at the Seisa Ramabodu Stadium they could find themselves at the top of the Absa Premiership. Still, they will find a win difficult to come by as Celtic are unbeaten at home in league fixtures.
The other match on Wednesday night (because of SuperSport Uniteds CAF commitment) is a round 17 league fixture and that sees the three time PSL champions travailing to Mpumalanga to take on bottom of the table MP Black Aces.
SuperSport will go into this match on a high considering they saw of title contenders Mamelodi Sundowns 1-0 in their last league encounter. In that display they were completely superior and should have won four or five nil. Now, going up against an Aces side who have lost nine matches in a row many would expect United to run out comfortable winners.
On Friday night the action really kicks-off with yet another fantastic double header at the World Cup Stadium in Cape Town. Vasco da Gama will take on Golden Arrows in the early match and Ajax Cape Town will host Moroka Swallows.
Vasco will face a tough task in keeping the Arrows attack at bay, especially considering their impressive 3-0 win in their last league encounter. The PSL rookies will also be looking to get back to winning ways after suffering two defeats and a draw in their last three league matches.
For Ajax they will not want to let up on the pressure at the top of the table and will be full of confidence going into the match after a 3-0 win in their last league encounter. Swallows, on the other hand will look to bounce back from a horrible 4-0 defeat suffered at the hands of AmaZulu.
Saturdays football action only sees three matches taking place. The first of which is a classic duel between Free State Stars and Orlando Pirates. As it stands, before Chiefs game against Celtic, the Buccaneers are on top of the log and will be looking to maintain their position with a win over Stars.
The other afternoon match is sure to be a humdinger as AmaZulu host Celtic. The KZN side are coming into this match off the back of a very impressive 4-0 win and they will be hoping to inflict the same pain on Celtic and move into the top eight.
The match of the day sees Kaizer Chiefs in action again, only three days after their midweek match, when they take on Maritzburg United in Soweto. It is a return to the Amakhosi for Maritzburg coach Ernst Middendorp and he will be hoping his United side can upset the mighty Phefeni Glamour Boys in front of their home crowd.
Only one match takes place on Sunday and it sees two sides licking their wounds in action. Mamelodi Sundowns, fresh off a 1-0 defeat to SuperSport and relinquishing their place atop the league standings, go up against Platinum Stars who saw their eight game unbeaten run ended with a defeat to Ajax. Both will be desperate to get back to winning ways.
Only one match is not taking place, the BidVest Wits v Santos game, due to the fact that the Students have a CAF commitment and because of travel reasons they cannot play their PSL match.
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