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Absa premiership action resumes this weekend

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Kaizer Chiefs has a chance to reduce the gap between log leaders Mamelodi Sundowns and the rest of the chasing pack to just four points this weekend.

Chiefs will host other title contenders Cape Town City at the FNB Stadium on Saturday evening.

A win for Chiefs will reduce pressure on embattled coach Steve Komphela, who has yet to win a trophy at the club after three seasons in charge.

In the only fixture on Friday Maritzburg United will host AmaZulu in the KwaZulu-Natal derby.

It is crunch time for all the Absa Premiership teams with just ten games remaining before the end of the 2017/2018 season.

The race for the league title is very tight at the top, and mid-table teams are fighting to finish in the top eight.

At least five teams in the bottom half are racing against time to avoid relegation. Early league pacesetters Baroka FC must start finding their rhythm if they intend to finish in the top eight.

But it’s not going to be easy for the Pretoria-based side who recently suspended head coach Kgoloko Thobejane. However, the presence of Kaizer Chiefs legend Doctor Khumalo, who is now technical director at the club, will help stabilise the situation, according to Baroka FC striker Talent Chawapiwa.

“I think you know Doctor Khumalo knows how to bring the best out of a player, he knows what you can do and what you cannot do so he’s always there to support you as a father and he’s the guy who played at the highest level so there is nothing that he doesn’t know. All he says is that talent go out there and express yourself we are behind you. You know life has to go on but being with the guy,  we started with him it’s kind like painful to see that our coach is no longer with us, he’s on suspension. But life has to go on, we have to go out there, play for the club bring the results for the club and the supporters as well”.

Meanwhile bottom of the log Platinum Stars are facing a tough week having to play two games in a space of four days.

Stars will no longer have other distractions after being knocked out in the first round of the Nedbank Cup on Wednesday.

Stars will first host other strugglers SuperSport United, before visiting 6th placed Maritzburg United, three days later.

After their loss to Baroka F.C midweek, Platinum Stars coach and shareholder, Roger De Sa, says they will be treating their ten remaining games of the season like cup finals to avoid the chop.

“We controlled everything but not well enough in the final third rally. Well for us it’s ten games, it’s ten cup finals now we can put the Nedbank cup away from us and we going to focus on the next ten games, and we got to get to 30 points as quickly as possible so we got to start working from tomorrow again and just focus on it”.

After narrowly avoiding relegation last season, Free State Stars are clearly the most improved team in the league this season.

All credit must go to former Polokwane City coach, Luc Eymael, who has turned the team around.

Free State Stars are currently third on the log, and Eymael says they are on track to finish in the top eight bracket this season.

But Stars will have it tough when they travel to log leaders Mamelodi Sundowns next Wednesday.

“Mamelodi Sundowns will be another tough game and now it is ten games remaining, you know I told you my target at the beginning everybody was laughing to try and put the team in the top eight we are mathematically safe. Now our next target is to be in the top eight and for that to be possible I think we have to get nine points or ten points. We will try and do our best, we will be facing the former champions of Africa a very good team with a very good coach, very good potential and I hope that my boys will be better than today”.

Three matches will be played on Saturday with Baroka F.C being at home to Chippa United. Also in the afternoon defending league champions Bidvest Wits will travel to Golden Arrows.

The biggest match of the weekend will see fourth placed Kaizer Chiefs welcome other title contenders Cape Town City at FNB Stadium on Saturday evening.

There are no matches scheduled for Sunday, and all action resumes next Tuesday.

 

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