Final act in PSL thriller
Can Birds spoil Bucs' treble celebrations?
SPEEDY:Orlando Pirates striker Tokelo Rantie. Picture taken from www.mtnfootball.com
MARKSMAN:Swallows poacher Siyabonga Nomvethe. The PSL trophy is Pirates' to lose and should they follow the form book, Augusto Palacios's side will make history by becoming the first team in the Premiership to win two trebles on the trot.
IF WE WERE to choose a slogan to describe tomorrow's Premier Soccer League grand finale, we would steal from the famous MTN8 tag-line, Wafa Wafa.
Indeed, kuzofiwa in KwaZulu-Natal tomorrow.
Though the title race is a two-horse affair between holders and log leaders Orlando Pirates and Moroka Swallows, who are two points behind them, it has all the hallmarks of a thrill-a-minute affair.
The Buccaneers travel to Durban for a date with Lamontville Golden Arrows as favourites to triumph at Moses Mabhida Stadium, while the Beautiful Birds fly to Pietermaritzburg to engage the unstable Maritzburg United at Harry Gwala Stadium.
All the matches tomorrow will kick off at 3pm.
Pirates go into their match with a psychological edge after they beat Arrows 2-1 in their final match of last season to lift the championship trophy. They also had the better of Abafana Be'sthende in the first round of this season, beating them 2-0 with second-half goals from Isaac Chansa and Tokelo Rantie in Soweto on December 21.
Swallows hosted the Team of Choice in Soweto on the same day and Siyabonga Nomvethe saved Gordon Igesund's side from blushes with an 89th-minute equaliser.
But the PSL trophy is Pirates' to lose and should they follow the form book, Augusto Palacios's side will make history by becoming the first team in the Premiership to win two trebles on the trot.
Swallows, who were once described by commentators as enfeebled after a catastrophic sequence of results last term, will lift their first Premiership trophy if they win and Pirates falter in Durban.
The scenario will see the Birds flying to the summit of the table on 56 points and Pirates relegated to second spot on 55.
Fourth-placed Mamelodi Sundowns, whose title ambitions foundered after losing 1-0 to SuperSport United last Saturday, will unseat Matsatsantsa from third spot if they beat Free State Stars in Atteridgeville and Gavin Hunt's side lose at Bloemfontein Celtic in Botshabelo.
The Brazilians and Kaizer Chiefs have 49 points apiece but Johan Neeskens's side enjoy a superior goal difference over the resurgent Amakhosi and United, with 51 points.
Meanwhile, the battle for a top-eight finish has not been won yet as Ajax Cape Town can still sneak in if they beat relegation-threatened Black Leopards in Polokwane and AmaZulu lose to Chiefs at Soccer City. Celtic would then miss out on a top-eight finish.
The fight for Premiership survival is now between Leopards and Santos. Jomo Cosmos, as expected, were sent back to the National First Division for the umpteenth time on Wednesday after a 2-all draw with Lidoda Duvha.
If Leopards beat Ajax, Santos's hopes of survival will be left to the play-offs, even if they beat Ezenkosi.
What a finale!
.
PSL and Absa negotiate new deal
THIS is likely to be the last time the Absa Premiership champs will pocket R10million as the contract between the bank and PSL is up for renewal.
The PSL team, led by chairman Irvin Khoza, is expected to push for a bigger slice in negotiations for a new deal.
While the battle for the R10million prize will be decided between Orlando Pirates and Moroka Swallows in KwaZulu-Natal tomorrow - where Pirates play Arrows and Swallows take on Maritzburg United.
l Absa has confirmed they were negotiating a new deal.
Breakdown of the Premiership prize:
1st R10million
2nd R5million
3rd R3million
4th R2million
5th R1,5million
6th R1,3million
7th R1,1million
8th R1million
9th R750000
10th R700000
11th 650000
12th R600000
13th R550000
14th R500000
15th 450000
16th R400000
Most Popular
-
No Viewed Articles yet
Comments
Ma-7
Our league has become very competitive,the winner is decided on the last day ,every season.Report Abuse
KemangBosso
KZN will be on fire,the league belongs to swallos they deserves it,I just cant waitReport Abuse
Charmaboy
Pirates won the league when they thrashed Celtic. Arrows is too weak to stop Pirates. Get used to that because saying Swallows will win the league is something else....Permutations :
Swallows Draw Pirates Draw ---> Pirates wins the league
Swallows win Pirates win ----> Pirates win the League
Swallows Lose Pirates Draw ---> Pirates win the league
Swallows win Pirates Draw ---> Swallows might win with the Goal diff (might)
Swallows lose Pirates Lose --> Pirates win the league
Swallows Draw Pirates Lose ---> Pirates win the league
Report Abuse
mrc22
Kemangbosso what do you mean when you say Swallows they desevre it you talking Craps if you don't know what to comment please just keep yur mouth shut please. This thing goes to Orlando you don't know that if you don't know that I will explain to you or you where at that mob of last week saturday when Celtic where leading Pirates they where happy hahahhahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha relax you are going to see football tomorrow latie Once a Pirates aLways a Pirates Up The Bucs aBafana base Orlando hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha uzowuzwa umoya kusasa.Report Abuse
Leonidusreturns
Fitting that they have a pic of Rantie. I am so proud of this boy for being picked for BB. He deserves that call up. He has all the attributes to make it at international levelReport Abuse
PHUMA_LANGA_SIKOTHE
WAMEMEZ' U KHOZA WATHI MATHAMBO HLANGANANI ♩ ♪ ♫ ♬ ♭ ♮♩ ♪ ♫ ♬USAMEMEZA NO NJENJE UTHI MATHAMBO HLANGANANI ♮♩ ♪ ♫ ♬ ♭ ♮♩ ♪ ♫ ♬
ASHO AMATHAMBO, ASHO AMATHAMBO EHLANGANA EMABHIDA ♮♩ ♪ ♫ ♬ ♭ ♮♩ ♪ ♫ ♬
KUYOQHUMA NHLAMVANA EZINYE ZIYOFEKELA... BA BOLAE SEPOKO BA BOLAE!!!!
Report Abuse
PHUMA_LANGA_SIKOTHE
@PhunyukabemphetheVery true my Champ, ngempela ebholweni akuna therefore, but okusalayo BAKANIYA all the way!
Report Abuse
Click
Well, well, well.. Man City (Swallows) to make history this time around.. I can't wait for tomorrow 6pm after Gordan Igesund and his championship side lift the deserved R10 000 000 cheque & winner's medals.. This time around, RATS are overconfident, the pressure's on them.. On the other hand Swallows will go for broke, and keep it tight at the back.. Gordan's a tactician, so is Mushin..Well done Swallows!!!.. You deserve this league!!!
Report Abuse
7000000
I wish Pirates loose so that Swallows win the league. Some of us will not sleep the whole next week if Pirates win. As a Sandawana I wish Pirates got disturbed so that they cannot set the all time record. I want Sandawana to set that record next season never mind I have the Nedbank Cup to deal with eeeerrrrr excuse me hahahahah!!Bacaneer 1 Abafanabesthende 2 than we all have a nice sleep!!
Report Abuse
PHUMA_LANGA_SIKOTHE
well done Dube owls, from relegation candidate last season to second position this seasonReport Abuse
Read all 310 comments