The Betway Premiership took centre stage this past weekend with Kaizer Chiefs losing their straight fifth Soweto derby against Orlando Pirates, following a come-from-behind 2-1 score at FNB Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Chiefs took the lead through well-taken Glody Lilepo goal from a beautiful pass from Dillan Solomons inside the Pirates box, to beat Sipho Chaine hands-down within the first five minutes of the game. Chiefs looked set to secure a win and continued to apply pressure to their Soweto rivals until Thalente Mbatha intercepted a pass that was meant to set Lilepo through on goal, played a forward pass to Mohau Nkota who wasted no time as he set Evidence Makgopa one-on-one with Bruce Bvuma. The Bafana Bafana striker made no mistake, slotting the ball between the advancing Bvuma’s legs to restore parity for the Buccaneers. It was Relebohile Mofokeng who scored the second goal of the game after inter-changing passes with Deon Hotto inside the Chiefs box and beat Bvuma with what looked to be a tame shot that went under Amakhosi’s number one and hit the back of the net. Chiefs tried to look for an equaliser, but it was not to be. Bucs, on the other hand, could have wrapped up the game earlier has they made better decisions in the final third. This was coach Jose Riveiro’s last league derby before parting ways with the Black and White at the end of the season. Pirates will be visiting struggling Golden Arrows at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Tuesday night before getting ready for the much-anticipated Nedbank Cup Soweto derby final at the same venue on Saturday.
Stellenbosch FC added salt to the wound when they hammered Abafana Bes’thende 3-0 at Mpumalanga Stadium on Saturday. The win pushed coach Steve Barker’s charges to fourth position in their quest to retain their third spot to ensure they are back in the CAF Confederation Cup next season. Arrows have, however, slipped into the relegation zone as they are yet to register a win in their last four league matches under coach Manqoba Mngqithi. The KZN-based club is now sitting 14th on the log with 26 points from 23 games, three points ahead of 15th placed Cape Town City who have played three more games.
SuperSport United eased their relegation worries with an impressive 2-0 win against Chippa United at Peter Mokaba Stadium on Saturday night with goals from Bradley Grobler and Christian Saile. The three points move Matsatsantsa a Pitori to 13th on the log on 26 points from 24 matches. Interim coach, Andre Arendse, will be optimistic of his team’s chances of moving away from the relegation zone with four games still to play.
Mamelodi Sundowns continued with their dominance when they handed Cape Town City their 15th loss in the league with a 2-0 beating at DHL Stadium on Saturday night. Coach Miguel Cardoso’s charges pushed caretaker coach, Diogo Peral’s charges further than the promotional play-off spot as the loss means it is almost mathematically impossible for the Cape Town-based side to avoid finishing 15th.
With that brief summary of the weekend's results, have a go at selecting your Team of the Week and see how close you get to the official Soccer Laduma selection.
