After going down to Lamontville Golden Arrows on Sunday, Kaizer Chiefs seem headed for another disappointing Premiership season.
Their new coach Nasreddine Nabi did warn fans after his side ran out 1-0 winners over Stellenbosch FC last week, saying the process of team building was a project that was far from completion.
AmaZulu’s co-coaching partnership featuring Vusumuzi Vilakazi and Arthur Zwane has defied expectations, as the club picked up match points to move away from the bottom of the Premiership.
Chiefs’ dilemma and the upturn in AmaZulu’s fortunes are among the five takeaways from the weekend’s footy involving SA teams...
New coach or not, Chiefs’ nightmare season continues
The arrival of new coach Nasreddine Nabi was meant to change the fortunes of Kaizer Chiefs, who were rank-poor last season.
But after 13 games this season, Chiefs have won only five, conceded 16 goals and scored as many.
At this rate, the club are headed for another trophyless season. If that happens, it will be their 10th consecutive barren campaign.
When Mamelodi Sundowns won the Premiership for the 10th consecutive time three seasons ago, the feat was termed ‘La Decima’.
We wonder what term will emerge if Chiefs record a 10th consecutive barren season, come May 2025?
Wake-up call for City’s giant slayer Ertugral
After an absence of six years, Turkish-born Muhsin Ertugral returned to the PSL fold in dramatic fashion by guiding his embattled team to wins over Soweto’s Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates in the space of four days. It was a heady achievement.
On Saturday, four days after their Pirates victory, City lost 1-0 to lowly Marumo Gallants in Bloemfontein.
As the match wound its course, Ertugral realised his players had run out of steam. After the game, he declared: “These players are human. These boys are tired.”
Ertugral said perhaps he should have rotated the players so that City were better prepared for the match. “Maybe that’s the decision we should have taken, to rotate,” said Ertugral.
Zungu’s gambit, the Zwane-Vilakazi partnership, paying dividends
AmaZulu president Sandile Zungu’s gambit of appointing co-coaches Arthur Zwane and Vusumuzi Vilakazi is paying dividends as Usuthu move away from the bottom of the Premiership standings.
The team have just emerged from their best passage of Premiership play this season, with seven points out of 12 from their last four outings.
However, there’s another Zungu in the AmaZulu equation now, former Bafana Bafana midfielder Bongani, who scored their decisive goal against Magesi FC last Saturday.
AmaZulu are in a race against time to whip Bongani Zungu into peak condition, and when that happens, Usuthu will have a match-winner.
Namibian striker Shalulile rescues Sundowns
Namibian-born Peter Shalulile has been a prolific goal-scorer for Mamelodi Sundowns, but his form has dipped in recent months, causing some to think he has reached his sell-by date.
However, on Saturday, he came off the bench and rescued Sundowns, who seemed headed for defeat after hosts AS Maniema Union led 1-0 at halftime in Saturday’s CAF Champions League group match in Kinshasa.
After he replaced Thapelo Morena in the 79th minute, he scored the equaliser four minutes later.
He did snatch the match-winner as he raced towards the Maniema box with the ball, but as he was tackled in the opposition penalty area, the ball hit the tackler’s boot and squirted into the opposing goals.
Sundowns are looking to offload him in the transfer window before his contract expires in June.
Pirates reach Champions League quarter-finals ahead of Al Ahly showdown
Goals by Relebohile Mofokeng and Thalente Mbatha saw Orlando Pirates run out 2-1 winners against Algeria’s CR Belouizdad at Orlando Stadium on Sunday.
The outcome meant Pirates have advanced to the blue-riband CAF Champions League quarter-finals, even though they still have to play African ‘Club of the Century’ Al Ahly in a Group C match in Cairo on Saturday.
🏆#TotalEnergiesCAFCL
— Orlando Pirates (@orlandopirates) January 12, 2025
FT|| @orlandopirates 2 v 1 CR Belouizdad
🎙️ Thalente Mbatha
🗓️ 12 January 2025
🏟️ Orlando Stadium
⚫️⚪🔴⭐#OrlandoPirates#OnceAlways pic.twitter.com/sCrdlG0Mse
Pirates head the standings from Al Ahly by one point, but since the Egyptians have also qualified, they may play well within themselves this week. | Independent Media Sport