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2022/23 DStv Premiership
Matchday 26
21-23 April 2023
SuperSport United, Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs continue to battle it out for the final CAF Champions League spot on matchday 26 in the
DStv Premiership.
The action gets underway on Friday evening as matters switch to the other end of the table when rock-bottom Maritzburg United host Richards Bay at the Harry Gwala Stadium.
The Team of Choice are four points adrift of safety after suffering their sixth defeat in eight matches with a 1-0 loss to Sekhukhune United on April 8. The Natal Rich Boyz's form is even worse as a 1-0 reverse against Golden Arrows on the same day extended their losing streak to seven games and left them winless in nine.
Then on Saturday afternoon, Orlando Pirates will look to reclaim second place when they welcome Cape Town City to the Orlando Stadium.
The Buccaneers dropped to third position following SuperSport's 0-0 draw with Marumo Gallants on April 18, although Jose Riveiro's side now have a game in hand on their top-two rivals, who play again on Sunday.
Pirates beat Chippa United 2-0 on April 8 to make it four wins on the spin, while the Citizens (5th) saw their faint hopes of African football slip further away with a 2-2 draw against AmaZulu - their third one-point haul in succession seeing the gap to third place stretch to eight points.
Elsewhere, TS Galaxy will target a return to winning ways when Royal AM visit the Mbombela Stadium.
The Rockets had put together an impressive five-match unbeaten run to challenge for a top-eight finish but back-to-back defeats against Maritzburg (2-1) and SuperSport (2-0) has seen them drop to 10th position, two points behind Thwihli Thwahla (8th), who arrested a two-game losing streak with a 3-1 victory over Stellenbosch on April 9.
Meanwhile, Stellenbosch will also be desperate to get back on the winning trail when they entertain Swallows at the Danie Craven Stadium in the late kick-off.
The Maroons had managed to put some distance between themselves and the relegation zone after embarking on a five-match unbeaten run, which included four wins, but consecutive losses to Chiefs and Royal AM has left them just four points clear of the bottom two in 11th place.
The Dube Birds gave themselves hope of avoiding the drop after picking up four points from their last two outings - a 1-0 win over AmaZulu and a goalless draw with Mamelodi Sundowns taking them two points ahead of Chippa United in 14th spot.
The playing conditions could be tricky as the Stormers will host Benetton in a Heineken Cup clash at the same venue on Friday, with the DHL Stadium available due to a Monster Jam event.
Stellies goalkeeper Lee Langeveldt has criticised the Stellenbosch Municipality for allowing the rugby match to take place at the Danie Craven Stadium on the eve of their tie with Swallows.
"What have the Stormers done for our town? We couldn't even train at DC (Danie Craven Stadium) and we have an important match on Saturday... some things will never change," Langeveldt said on Twitter.
Kaizer Chiefs will be aiming to keep their top-two hopes alive when they lock horns with Sekhukhune United at the Peter Mokaba Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
The Glamour Boys (4th) missed out on the chance to go level with Pirates and SuperSport when they were held to a 1-1 draw by Gallants on April 8, which halted a four-match winning streak and put them two points off the pace in the race for CAF Champions League football.
Babina Noko (7th) picked up their first win in five outings after beating Maritzburg 1-0 a fortnight ago to close within a point of Arrows (6th).
SuperSport United and AmaZulu bring the football proceedings to a close at the TUT Stadium in the late kick-off.
Matsatsantsa dropped more crucial points with a goalless draw against Bahlabane Ba Ntwa in midweek, although it was enough to overtake Bucs into second position. Usuthu (12th) extended their winless run to three games with a 2-2 stalemate against Cape Town City on April 9 to put them just three points clear of the bottom two.
SuperSport head coach Gavin Hunt believes they deserve to finish second despite winning only two of their last five games and squandering a healthy lead over the two Soweto giants.
"We don't worry about that (finishing second) but we deserve it because we are the best behind them, Sundowns. So we should be, we could be miles ahead... we were six points, seven points clear at one stage. We just haven't taken our chances in the last three, four games, so it is what it is,'' Hunt said.
"We were well ahead three games ago. Obviously, we made it hard for ourselves... we had a game against Chippa like this (the draw at Marumo). The same thing, we should win 4 or 5 nil and we draw 1-1 and you draw again. So ja, it is what it is."
DStv Premiership matchday 26 fixtures:
Friday, April 21
19h30: Maritzburg United v Richards Bay
Saturday, April 22
15h00: Orlando Pirates v Cape Town City
15h00: TS Galaxy v Royal AM
17h30: Stellenbosch v Swallows
Sunday, April 23
15h00: Sekhukhune United v Kaizer Chiefs
17h30: SuperSport United v AmaZulu
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