Johannesburg - The Absa Premiership will be in full swing this weekend following an enforced one-month break that was in place to aid South Africa's bid to qualify for the 2016 Olympic Games.
The resumption comes just days after the Telkom Knockout final, which saw Mamelodi Sundowns crowned champions after a 3-1 victory over Kaizer Chiefs.
In the Premirship, leaders Bidvest Wits will be looking to consolidate their lead over the second-placed Brazilians, with both teams involved in high-profile fixtures to end the year.
The Students face a wounded Amakhosi in a match that will be played at the Cape Town Stadium on Saturday as the Soweto giants try to spread the game to more of their fans. But they did not enjoy ideal preparation for the game after losing to Sundowns in Durban.
Chiefs are the defending league champions and currently placed fourth on the table, with coach Steve Komphela admitting they had little time to mull over their second cup final loss of the season.
“We have to let go of this match, as Wits wait on Saturday,” said Komphela. “We have to bounce back.”
Sundowns, meanwhile, will likely be rooting for Chiefs to win as they bid to overtake Gavin Hunt's men on the table. Pitso Mosimane's men take on the other Soweto giants, Orlando Pirates, in a match that will be played at the Loftus Versfeld stadium on Sunday. “We have little time to regroup,” the Sundowns coach said.
“We have another important game against Pirates and I told the guys they deserved to party (after the midweek cup win) but they need to do it responsibly.
“We're playing a team that has one of the best attacks in the country. It's an important game and one you have to take seriously if you want to challenge.”
The 12th-placed Bucs will be hoping to finally be able to cast all their focus towards domestic matters after the distraction of the CAF Confederation Cup over the last few months.
Their last match was defeat in the final to Tunisian giants Etoile du Sahel Elsewhere, five clubs will have different coaches in the dugouts following managerial changes during the latest break.
Eighth-placed Chippa United, who kick the round off on Friday evening, will have caretaker coach Dan Malesela at the helm against Bloemfontein Celtic in Port Elizabeth.
Siwelele too have a new man in charge after Serame Letsoaka replaced Clinton Larsen in the Free State.
In fact Larsen has swapped places with Letsoaka and will head seventh-placed Lamontville Golden Arrows' charge against Polokwane City who are now coached by Julio Leal.
That game is scheduled to take place at Chatsworth on Saturday. There are two other games on Saturday as Free State Stars welcome Jomo Cosmos to Goble Park and third-placed Mpumalanga Black Aces take on Ajax Cape Town at Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit.
On Sunday, Fadlu Davids will run the Maritzburg United line as the bottom-placed club travel to the Royal Bafokeng Stadium where they will play fifth-placed Platinum Stars. Finally, second-bottom University of Pretoria host SuperSport United in a Tshwane derby at Tuks Stadium. - African News Agency (ANA)