You simply can’t predict the likely outcome of today’s Premiership clash between Platinum Stars and Kaizer Chiefs.
“I don’t know what is going on this season,” says Roger De Sa, coach of Stars, who welcome an Amakhosi side who are licking their wounds following a 1-0 defeat away to Chippa United earlier in the week.
De Sa’s men have come off a confidence-boosting win against Polokwane City on Wednesday night at the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium, which moved them three places up the log, but they’re still just two points away from bottom-of-the-log Bidvest Wits, the reigning champions. That in itself tells you that this campaign is unusual.
Orlando Pirates coach Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredojevic argued this week that it was proof the Premier League is competitive, but De Sa says there is no other word for it but inconsistency.
“I don’t know what is going on with the so-called big clubs anymore,” he said. “I think there is a loss of consistency - in the whole league, all the clubs. So it is very difficult to tell. I mean Maritzburg United hadn’t scored in eight games and then they go and score four (in their midweek victory over Cape Town City). You kind of ask how does this work? This means you can’t worry too much about previous games.”
Stars host a Chiefs outfit which has not registered a league win since beating log leaders Mamelodi Sundowns 2-1 on October 17, and that was six fixtures ago.
“But they have enough to come out with a new starting eleven and give a fantastic performance, we all know that,” De Sa says.
“You can’t take that away from them. Forget about their past results, forget about what they are doing wrong or what issues they have there. We also have our own issues that we have to sort out. Chiefs are close to the top of the log (in seventh place) with 16 points. They know that two wins in a row and they are back in the top three.”
The concerns De Sa has to iron out not only includes results on the pitch, but also the likelihood that the club could have new owners before the end of the year.
“Ideally we would like to get to 18 points before Christmas, but we have Chiefs at home and then we have Wits away. And Wits are bottom of the log, I mean come on, that’s crazy. That should never happen,” the coach said.
“With the squad they have, it is just unbelievable. They are going to get out of it, it’s just a matter of time. So we just have to focus on ourselves and say we have to do the right things again in the next game. We start from zero every time, from scratch every time. This is what’s given us two wins and four draws in the last six games. Some of them very good draws away from home. Let’s focus on what we are doing and do it right.”
Meanwhile, Pirates, who have equally been having a topsy-turvy season under Sredojevic, but remain in the hunting pack for the title, face AmaZulu at Orlando Stadium in the 8:15pm kick-off eager to follow up their solid second half performance in the goalless draw against SuperSport United at the same venue on Tuesday with a convincing display to target all three points.
FIXTURES
Today:
Polokwane City v Bidvest Wits, SuperSport United v Cape Town City (both 3.30pm); Platinum Stars v Kaizer Chiefs (6pm); Ajax Cape Town v Chippa United, Orlando Pirates v AmaZulu (both 8.15pm)
Tomorrow:
Bloemfontein Celtic v Free State Stars, Golden Arrows v Mamelodi Sundown (both 3.30pm)