League resumes with vigour

The Premier Soccer League (PSL) recommenced on a high note this week after a lengthy festive break, which saw the local football calendar also accommodate the three week long 2013 African Cup of nations, which was hosted here in South Africa.

In the eight fixtures that were played on Tuesday and Wednesday, there were five thrilling victories, while the other three fixtures produced draws.

On Tuesday Free State Stars kick started the second half of the season with a superb home victory against Chippa United at the Charles Mopeli Stadium. Ea Lla Koto’s new signing from Bloemfontein Celtic, Danny Venter produced a spectacular debut performance and scored a brace, which was supplemented by Luyolo Nomandela’s last minute goal to register a 3-0 victory.

The Free State outfit are now in fourth position on the PSL log and have collected 28 points in 17 matches.

The second match saw Mamelodi Sundown welcome Kaizer Chiefs at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria, but this battle between the giants ended in a 0-0 stalemate after two halves of fantastic football, with the teams pocketing a point apiece.

The KwaZulu-Natal derby between Amazulu and Maritzburg United, which also played on the same day, also finished in a draw.

Bidvest Wits became the second team to register a victory in 2013 when they thrashed Black Leopards 2-0 in their own backyard, with Erwin Isaacs and Ryan Chapman netting a goal each in the second half.
It was victories galore on Wednesday, with Ajax Cape Town and Moroka Swallows being the only teams that produced a drawn result after, Musa Lebusa net a goal for the Urban Warriors on the stroke halftime, only for Siyabonga Nomvethe to equalise for the Dube Birds in the 69th minute.

Platinum Stars defeated Bloemfontein Celtic by two goals to nil at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium, through Henrico Botes and Robert Ng’ambi’s goals which came in either half of the match. The victory kept Dikwena right on the heels of Chiefs and Orlando Pirates.

Golden Arrows’ Bongani Ntuli scored two late goals in each half to give his team a 2-0 victory over PSL rookies, AmaTuks in Pretoria.

Pirates, on the other hand claimed the top spot on the log with a 1-0 victory against Pretoria side, SuperSport United, which relegated Chiefs to second spot. Pirates midfielder, Oupa Manyisa, scored in the second minute of the match; a goal which sealed the victory for Pirates to shoot the Soweto giants to the summit with 37 points.

The PSL action will continue this weekend, starting this evening as Sundowns travel to Maritzburg United to try and continue their surge up the log. Sundowns is still stuck in the bottom half of the premiership log, but have moved out of the relegation zone and now occupy the 11 position.

On Saturday the high flying Platinum Stars will host the struggling Ajax at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium, while Bloemfontein Celtic will be hoping to register its first win this year when it hosts Bidvest Wits at the Free State Stadium.

Later that evening, Golden arrows will host Amazulu at the King Zwelithini Stadium. In what will definitely be the match of the weekend, Free State Stars will take on second placed Kaizer Chiefs at the 20:15 at the FNB Stadium, where Chiefs will be looking to reclaim the top spot on the PSL log.

The last weekend fixture will take place on Sunday when Chippa United take on Golden Arrows at the Philippi Stadium in Cape Town.

Pirates’ next fixture will only be on February 20 against Platinum Stars and will not play this weekend as the Soweto team will be competing in the CAF Champions League preliminary round against Djabal from the Comoros Islands.

SuperSport United will also not play any PSL fixture this weekend and will travel to Democratic republic of Congo’s (DRC) capital of Kinshasa, to begin in Champions League campaign against Don Brasco.