Betway Premiership continues this weekend and our focus is on Saturday’s games between Orlando Pirates and Siwelele and Amazulu v Richards Bay
Orlando Pirates v Siwelele
With title rivals Sundowns not in Betway Premiership action this weekend this is an opportunity for Pirates to go 3 points clear in the title race. Coming into the game Pirates and Downs both have 47 points from 20 games and the Bucs shade top spot with a goal difference of +25 to Sundowns’ +24. Given third place Sekhukhune have 33 points it looks safe to assume it’s a 2 horse race for the title.
Since Pirates lost 2-1 to Sundowns around a month ago they have bounced back with 3 straight league wins, 3-0 against Chiefs in the derby, a 2-1 victory at Polokwane City and earlier this week they were 2-0 winners at home to Richards Bay. Pirates have kept a clean sheet in 8 of their last 10 league outings and the defeat to Downs is their only loss in their last 18 in the Betway Premiership.
At the time of writing Siwelele are in eleventh place with 22 points from 19 matches, giving them 4 points worth of daylight over second bottom Orbit College who have played 2 games more. They are enjoying a 6 match unbeaten run in the Betway Premiership although it most be noted that 5 of those games have finished all square (3 without a goal and 2 score draws). Their sole win in the sequence came in home fixture against TS Galaxy which they edged 1-0.
The Verdict:
The teams have already met twice this season, the first league meeting and a Carling Knockout tie in Orlando and Pirates won both games 1-0 thanks to late goals. That suggests Siwelele have fared better than most when it comes to keeping Pirates out and they can also point to having held Sundowns to a 1-1 draw recently for further encouragement.
That said, this is too good an opportunity for Pirates to miss and with home advantage I think they will get the job done. I’m with 1-0, 2-0 or 3-0.
Bet: Multi Correct Score 1-0. 2-0 or 3-0 at 9/10 with Sportingbet
Amazulu v Richards Bay
Amazulu were on the fringes of the title race at the end of January, but they have had a frustrating time with 3 successive defeats followed by a 0-0 draw at home to Magesi earlier this month. Two of those defeats came in home fixtures against Pirates (lost 2-0) and Sundowns (1-0) whilst the other was a 1-0 loss at Stellenbosch. That means it’s 4 league games without a goal and although Amazulu are still in the top 6 they are now totally detached from the top 2.
Richards Bay have taken on the Soweto giants in their last 2 league games. They upset Kaizer Chiefs with a 1-0 home win last week but they couldn’t follow up in midweek when they went down 2-0 away to Pirates. Overall 4 of their 5 wins this season have arrived in home games and on the road they have a record of 1 win, 4 draws and 5 defeats.
These teams have met twice this season. Richards Bay were 2-0 winners in the first league meeting and Amazulu came out on top (1-0) in a Nedbank Cup tie last month.
The Verdict:
It looks a tricky result to call and I’m looking to the goals markets where I will take my chances with no more than one in total.
Bet: Total match goals under 1.5 at even money with SuperSportBet
Note, odds are subject to change
