Tshwane derby headlines midweek Betway Premiership action

The Betway Premiership continues unabated this midweek, headlined by a Tshwane derby between SuperSport United and Mamelodi Sundowns on the evening of Wednesday 5 February.

United will host ‘Downs at the Lucas Moripe Stadium, with the two teams in wildly different form: Matsatsantsa have slumped to three straight losses in the league, most recently slipping to a 2-1 reverse at the hands of AmaZulu on Saturday night, while the Brazilians’ 4-0 thrashing of Golden Arrows on Sunday was an eighth successive win in the Premiership.

The match also has implications for the title race, with leaders Sundowns no doubt keeping one eye on a concurrent match at the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium, where closest chasers Orlando Pirates face a tricky game against Sekhukhune United.

‘Downs have been reinvigorated by coach Miguel Cardoso, whose arrival has galvanised their attempt to win an eighth straight Premiership crown.

“The coach came with a lot of energy and that is rubbing off on the players. He is a winner, you know Sundowns always want to win everything,” said senior player Mothobi Mvala.

“We’ve quality players in the team that adjust quickly to the philosophy of the coach and what he wants. That’s what helps the team win and get results. We just need to keep on moving, we know that there is still room for improvement.

“The coach is working hard at training and the guys are doing a debrief after every game to rectify some of the mistakes or things that we could have done better in the game. I think we are heading in the right direction.”

The midweek action also features Kaizer Chiefs looking to bounce back from their Soweto derby defeat at the weekend when they welcome AmaZulu to FNB Stadium on Tuesday evening; bottom-of-the-log Magesi FC will be desperate to break their 11-game winless streak in the league when they welcome Chippa United to the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium; and Richards Bay would love to open a little more daylight between them and the relegation playoff zone when they welcome Marumo Gallants to the King Zwelithini Stadium.

On Wednesday, Cape Town City and Golden Arrows will both be looking to avoid a hat-trick of defeats across all competitions when they meet at Athlone Stadium, while high-flying Polokwane City (third on the log and seven games unbeaten in the league) take on in-form TS Galaxy (10 unbeaten across all competitions) at Mbombela Stadium.

“What we are doing defensively, we are doing a great job,” said Polokwane coach Phuti Mohafe, whose side has kept five clean sheets in their last six league matches. “The only thing we need to master now is putting the ball in the back of the net.”

One scheduled midweek match has been postponed, with Royal AM (who would have hosted Stellenbosch FC) still suspended from playing matches by the PSL due to their ongoing financial and administrative challenges.

Betway Premiership midweek fixtures

Times CAT

Tuesday 4 February

19:30: Kaizer Chiefs v AmaZulu FC

19:30: Magesi FC v Chippa United

19:30: Richards Bay v Marumo Gallants

Royal AM v Stellenbosch FC – Postponed

Wednesday 5 February

19:30: Cape Town City v Golden Arrows

19:30: Sekhukhune United v Orlando Pirates

19:30: SuperSport United v Mamelodi Sundowns

19:30: TS Galaxy v Polokwane City