WeeklySA_AdminWINNING FINISH:Bucs guaranteed top three position while Chiefs are sweating to make it to the Top 8
By Sports Reporter
Orlando Pirates conclude their 2023/24 DStv Premiership campaign with a home fixture against SuperSport United on Saturday afternoon.
The iconic Orlando Stadium hosts this must-win game for the Buccaneers as they look for a winning finish to what has been a season filled with ups and downs.
While guaranteed a place in the top three of the final league standings, they will be looking to end what has been a dismal run of recent results having not scored in each of their last two outings. They lost at home to Richards Bay before a similar result on the road against TS Galaxy in their most recent fixture.
This poor turn of form has restricted their points tally over the last five games to just nine points, stalling their quest for CAF Champions League qualification which is only partially under their control as they head into the final round of fixtures a point behind second-placed Stellenbosch.
Pirates will have to hold their end of the deal by seeing off the men from Tshwane, who can only go as high as fourth place on the table.
United are coming off a 2-0 win over Moroka Swallows, their second victory in their last five outings where they have claimed eight out of a possible 15 points.
Having disposed of one Soweto outfit, they will be eager to add the Buccaneers scalp to their collection to ensure a solid finish to their campaign.
Winger Shandre Campbell is back to bolster United after sitting out the game against Swallows through suspension. The teenager copped a one-match ban after picking up his fourth yellow card of the season when his side drew against Cape Town Spurs.
Pirates meanwhile have suffered some significant blows in defence with Tapelo Xoki’s injury forcing him out of the remainder of the season, while Nkosinathi Sibisi is suspended for one match after he was cautioned in Mbombela.
They could be boosted in midfield as Miguel Timm nears a return to action after picking up a minor knock in the lead up to the trip to Mpumalanga.
Key Players
Tshegofatso Mabasa (Orlando Pirates): With the Golden Boot within reach, the Bucs marksman will relish the opportunity to lead the line once more as he looks to add to his 15 league goals scored this season. Mabasa’s excellent anticipation and keen eye for goal have made him a formidable force on attack, consistently posing a threat to opposition defences.
Bradley Grobler (SuperSport United): The veteran striker has consistently been one of the more prolific goal scorers in South African football, and is enjoying another productive campaign in front of goal. A constant threat both aerially and on the ground, Grobler has scored 11 league goals this season including three in his last four games.
Head-to-Head
Pirates will go into the match looking to avoid landing on the wrong side of a league double after suffering a 3-1 defeat when they visited United in Polokwane back in December.
The Tshwane outfit will however be on a mission of their own as they seek their first away win over the Soweto Giants in a decade. Matsatsansa have lost six away games to the Buccaneers while holding them to three stalemates since they last defeated them on their own patch halfway through the 2013/2014 campaign.
The rivalry between the two sides has however been a tight one, with each team boasting seven wins in the 20 league games played since. The game starts at 15:00.
Meanwhile, Amakhosi approach their final fixture of the 2023/24 DStv Premiership season against Cape Town Spurs in the Mother City on Saturday, knowing that only victory will give them a chance of a Top 8 finish.
Even then, they will need to equal or better AmaZulu’s result, as Chiefs enjoy a slender one goal advantage in goal difference between the two teams level on 36 points.
Reflecting on the campaign defender, Thatayaone Ditlhokwe believes that despite some disappointments along the way, there are many good things they can take into next season.
“As we come to the end of the season, in my opinion it hasn’t gone as well as had hoped,” he tells www.kaizerchiefs.com, “but with each and every challenge that one faces, there are always lessons to be learnt and experience to be gained. So, it is important to focus on the positives and work on carrying them forward.”
The elegant centreback has had his own personal setbacks in his first season as a Glamour Boy. However, having come through the tribulations to regain full fitness, he only wants to look ahead to the future.
“I was out for almost six months, but that’s football, you know. Injuries are part of the game,” he says, philosophically, “Being unable to play has been difficult but now I am grateful to have recovered fully.”
The Amakhosi Faithful have had their patience tested over the course of the season, yet have continued to back the team no matter what, and Ditlhokwe assures the fanbase that every player, to a man, is determined to close the campaign out on a high note and create a sense of anticipation for better things to come next season.
“Every player is fully motivated to get the result we need, especially for our supporters, who have been behind us all the way, even when we haven’t done so well.
So, we really want to end the season well and give them something to look forward to next season,” he concludes.
