Clear your calenders for Soweto derbies

Dikgang Mabalane of Orlando Pirates © Barry Aldworth/BackpagePix

Dikgang Mabalane of Orlando Pirates © Barry Aldworth/BackpagePix

Published Jul 16, 2015

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October 31 and January 30. Clear those dates of any special events such as birthdays and weddings. It’s Soweto derby time.

Unless of course you do not mind having none of your friends share your special moments with you.

Those two Saturdays are Soweto derby days for the 2015/16 Absa Premiership season league matches and history has proven that many a South Africans put everything on hold to be a part of the country’s biggest sporting event.

The Premier Soccer League yesterday released the full fixture list for the new season and scheduled defending champions Kaizer Chiefs to meet their traditional rivals on those month-end Saturdays no doubt intent on ensuring that the FNB Stadium will be packed for both clashes.

Already, the two giants are guaranteed to play their traditional pre-season friendly clash to a packed house after the sold out signs for the August 1 Carling Black Label Cup went up yesterday.

And this weekend they could well meet should both win their King’s Super Cup semi-final matches against Swaziland opposition in Mbabane.

The new league season is scheduled to kick off in the second weekend of August (8/9) and finish on May 21 with all 16 clubs playing the last two matches of the campaign simultaneously.

It is the start of the season, however, that the clubs will be focusing on as they wrap up their pre-seasons and Chiefs should be confident of maximum points when they kick-start their title defence with a trip to Chippa United, the venue of their coronation last season where they received their trophy having captured the championship a few matches earlier. The match is on Sunday August 9.

The honour of opening the new season goes to the not-so-glamorous sides in the league, with Free State Stars against Mpumalanga Aces and Bloemfontein Celtic at Polokwane City playing on Saturday afternoon.

It is perhaps Mamelodi Sundowns’ visit to their hoodoo team Platinum Stars that will grab the attention of the opening day – the two sides meeting in the evening match at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium.

In a fascinating twist to the fixtures, Pitso Mosimane’s side will play their last match of the year before the Christmas recess against Pirates on December 20 and then open the new year against Chiefs on January 9.

Premiership returnees, Jomo Cosmos and Golden Arrows start their campaign back in the top flight with tricky matches, Ezenkosi travelling to Maritzburg United and Abafana Bes’thende hosting the University of Pretoria.

The dates for the PSL’s three, official cup competitions were also released, with the MTN8 kicking things off from August 5 and the final set for September 19. The Premiership clubs-only Telkom Knockout will run from September 30 to December 16 while the all-encompassing Nedbank Cup is scheduled to kick off on March 28 and bring the curtain down on the season on May 28.

But you can bet it is October 31 and January 30 that will be circled in red or highlighted on many a football fan’s calendar. - The Star

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