2023/24 DStv Premiership
Matchday 16
29-31 December 2023
SuperSport United will look to ramp up the pressure on
DStv Premiership leaders Mamelodi Sundowns, while Cape Town City and Orlando Pirates attempt to stay in touch with the frontrunners.
The final round of fixtures for 2023 gets underway on Friday afternoon when AmaZulu host Royal AM in a local derby at the Moses Mabhida Stadium.
The two teams shared the spoils in a 0-0 draw on the opening weekend of the season and they are separated by just one point in standings, with Usuthu lying 10th after being held 1-1 by Cape Town Spurs on December 22 and Thwihli Thwahla down in 13th position following their goalless stalemate against Moroka Swallows one day later.
Later that same evening, Orlando Pirates will target a return to winning ways when Stellenbosch visit the Orlando Stadium.
The Buccaneers saw a six-match unbeaten run come to an end with a 3-1 defeat to SuperSport United on December 23 which saw them drop to third place. Carling Knockout champions Stellies are just two points behind Pirates in fifth spot beating Cape Town City 1-0 on December 8 to make it three wins on the spin.
Mamelodi Sundowns will bring their gruelling schedule to a conclusion with the visit of Polokwane City to Loftus Versfeld on Saturday afternoon.
The Brazilians' dropped points for the first time this season when they played out to a 0-0 draw with Cape Town City on December 24 and they will take on Swallows just three days later to mark their seventh game in the space of just 22 days before bringing the year to a close against Rise And Shine.
Phuti Mohafe's side got their campaign back on track with a 2-1 victory over Chippa United on December 23 which arrested a six-game winless sequence and lifted them up to seventh place.
SuperSport United will be eyeing a third straight win when they take on struggling Richards Bay at the King Goodwill Zwelithini Stadium.
Matsatsantsa (2nd) cut the gap down to five points at the top of the table as they battled back from a goal down to emerge 3-1 victors against Pirates on December 23. The Natal Rich Boyz sacked Kaitano Tembo on Christmas after suffering a 2-1 defeat to Kaizer Chiefs two days earlier which left them seven points adrift of safety in 15th spot.
SuperSport head coach Gavin Hunt praised his young guns for shining in the clash with Bucs as Ime Okon (19) and Bilal Baloyi (21) impressed in the heart of defence, while Shandre Campbell (18) bagged his first two goals for the club.
"We have given 11 debutants from the Diski team this season. It's crazy. And seven new players. That's 17 new players," Hunt said.
"Our team won the Diski last season and I've taken 11 of those players in the first team this season. And the youngsters have done very well.
"We're going to lose games, but we won't lose [as a club] - we'll definitely benefit in the long run."
Then in the late kick-off, Kaizer Chiefs will be hoping to sign off the year in style when they lock horns with Sekhukhune United at the Peter Mokaba Stadium.
Amakhosi won three games in a row for the first time in 2023-24 when they edged Richards Bay 1-0 on December 23 to go level with the Maroons on 23 points, but remained on sixth place on goals scored. Babina Noko were last in action a fortnight ago as they went down 1-0 to AmaZulu on December 13, which halted a two-match winning streak and saw them slip to 14th position.
The first half of the season draws to a close with rock-bottom Cape Town Spurs hosting Cape Town City in the second iKapa derby of the year at the Cape Town Stadium on Sunday.
The Citizens claimed the local bragging rights with a 3-1 win in the reverse fixture on September 30 and they brought an end to Sundowns' perfect record last weekend to leapfrog Pirates into third place, but are winless in their last two games. The Urban Warriors registered only their fourth point of a disappointing campaign after holding AmaZulu to a 1-1 draw last time out, having lost their previous five matches.
City head coach Eric Tinkler hailed his players for a hard-working performance against Masandawana and felt they applied the high press to perfection, although he admitted they could have done better in the final third.
"I'm extremely proud of the boys, I asked a lot from them," Tinkler told iDiski Times. "They needed to play with a lot of energy and intensity. And that's not easy against a quality team like Mamelodi Sundowns.
"They're a team that is extremely comfortable on the ball, with a lot of ability, and a lot of confidence. So we needed to be extremely brave in terms of our pressing strategy, but I thought players applied it exceptionally well. Just the final product was lacking."
In other matches taking place around the country, Moroka Swallows face Golden Arrows at the Dobsonville Stadium and TS Galaxy entertain Chippa United at the Mbombela Stadium.
DStv Premiership matchday 16 fixtures:
Friday, December 29
17h45: AmaZulu v Royal AM
20h00: Orlando Pirates v Stellenbosch
Saturday, December 30
15h30: Moroka Swallows v Golden Arrows
15h30: Richards Bay v SuperSport United
15h30: TS Galaxy v Chippa United
17h45: Mamelodi Sundowns v Polokwane City
20h00: Sekhukhune United v Kaizer Chiefs
Sunday, December 31
15h30: Cape Town Spurs v Cape Town City
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