The drama of another season in the DStv Premiership gets underway on Friday, 20 August, when champions Mamelodi Sundowns host last season’s surprise package AmaZulu in a tasty entrée to the feast of football that will be streamed across Africa on Showmax Pro this weekend, courtesy of SuperSport.
South African football is a soap opera with plenty of twists and turns, mystery and intrigue, and the race to see who will be crowned champions in nine months’ time starts with a thrilling set of first-round games.
The Brazilians edged past Kaizer Chiefs in the MTN8 quarterfinals on Sunday, and now turn their focus to an Usuthu side determined to upset the established order in the domestic game and turn the so-called Big Three into the Fantastic Four.
Also Read: Showmax Pro Will Live Stream All English Premier League, La Liga and Serie A Matches (Subscribers in South Africa will also be able to stream the UEFA Champions League.)
The Durban side are often referred to as a sleeping giant of South African football with their rich history and fanatical support, and there were signs last season that they are beginning to wake from their slumber under charismatic coach Benni McCarthy and his exciting young team.
But the Brazilians juggernaut is impossible to stop when in full flow, and, having already claimed an unprecedented four DStv Premiership titles in succession, they’re heavy favourites to make it five in a row.
It is a battle between the champions and the team that finished second last season, and so the perfect encounter to whet the appetite for the months ahead. The kickoff is at 17h00 (CAT).
The AmaKhosi begin the new campaign where they left off the last, away at TS Galaxy on Sunday (17h00) in what is a tricky first hurdle but one they will expect to navigate.
A host of new players, including Bafana Bafana star Keagan Dolly, have brought renewed energy to the success-starved side, and, in tactician Stuart Baxter, they have a coach who knows how to win silverware in the domestic game.
In fact, Baxter was the last coach to lift a trophy with the Phefeni Glamour Boys as they claimed the league title in the final season of his first spell at Naturena in 2014/15, but they’ve gone six years without success since then, an unfavourable club record.
Now that Baxter is back in the saddle, the expectation is that the good time will return and that they can go toe to toe with Sundowns right up to the final round of fixtures in May. The same will be true for Orlando Pirates, who are closing in on a decade since they last lifted the DStv Premiership trophy.
The Buccaneers’ season got off to a poor start when they were defeated by Soweto rivals Swallows FC in the quarterfinals of the MTN8, leading to the resignation of German coach Josef Zinnbauer on Monday.
They host Stellenbosch FC in their league opener on Saturday (15h00) and failure to get a win will only leave the Ghost even more restless. Two of the outsiders for the DStv Premiership title will clash in their opening games when Cape Town City host SuperSport United on Saturday (17h00), having had contrasting fortunes this past weekend.
City defeated Usuthu in Durban in their MTN8 quarterfinal, but Matsatsantsa lost on penalties at Lamontville Golden Arrows in another game played on the KwaZulu-Natal coast. Adding to the drama is the fact that Citizens coach Tinkler left the club for SuperSport following his first spell in charge, but lasted only nine months with Matsatsantsa before getting the axe.
New boys Sekhukhune United host Gavin Hunt’s Chippa United, while there is a KZN derby as Abafana Bes’thende welcome a rejuvenated Maritzburg United, who are expecting big things this season under coach Ernst Middendorp. Both games kick-off at 15h00.
There is another local match-up as Baroka FC entertain local rivals Marumo Gallants in an all-Polokwane affair (17h00), while on Sunday, The Birds take on Bloemfontein Celtic at 15h00.
Showmax is running a special offer – get two months of Showmax Pro for the price of one if you sign up before the end of August. Visit www.showmax.com/welcome-pro to sign up for the limited-time offer.
