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2022/23 DStv Premiership
Matchday 18
27-29 January 2023
It remains tight at the bottom of the
DStv Premiership table going into matchday 18, with just four points separating the teams positioned from 12th to 16th.
Marumo Gallants continue to bring up the rear and they'll be desperate for points when Orlando PIrates visit the Royal Bafokeng Stadium on Saturday.
Bahlabane Ba Ntwa drew 1-1 with AmaZulu last Saturday to close within two points of safety, although it extended their winless run to six matches. The Buccaneers (4th) secured back-to-back league wins for the first time this season when they beat Stellenbosch 4-1 on Sunday.
Stellenbosch will be seeking derby comforts when they welcome Cape Town City to the Danie Craven Stadium on Friday.
The Maroons (15th) have been dragged into the relegation mire after a heavy defeat to Pirates left them without a win in their last nine encounters, while the Citizens (7th) edged TS Galaxy 1-0 last Friday to claim their sixth win of the campaign.
Stellies are unbeaten in their last four meetings against City, having won three and drawn one. Head coach Steve Barker admits he's having to deal with the fallout of losing his best players but insists there is no need to panic despite their lowly standing.
"We did release a lot of experienced players and unfortunately we lost two key players in Ashley du Preez and Zitha Kwinika, and Juan Ortiz got injured in the last game against Cape Town City, and he's still injured," Barker said.
"We're being challenged now as a team and as a club in terms of how we deal with this and the pressure that comes when you're not getting results.
"It is a tough period for us. We've been there, we know what we need to do, and we know how to get out of it. We don't need to start panicking, once you do that things can get worse."
Meanwhile, the threat of relegation is looming for Swallows once more as they prepare to face SuperSport United at the Dobsonville Stadium on Saturday.
The Dube Birds had to navigate the playoffs last term to retain their top-flight status and they just can't seem to get away from the relegation zone, with a 1-0 defeat to Sekhukhune United last Friday leaving them level on 17 points with Stellenbosch in 14th spot.
Matsatsantsa (3rd) missed out on the chance to climb back into second place after they played out to a 1-1 draw with top-two rivals Richards Bay on Sunday, which left them winless in three games.
Golden Arrows are also involved in a relegation scrap and they'll be looking to turn the tide against TS Galaxy at the Mbombela Stadium on Sunday.
Abafana Bes'thende (13th) are just four points clear of the basement after suffering back-to-back defeats against Orlando Pirates and Maritzburg United, while the Rockets (12th) saw an eight-game unbeaten run come to an end at the hands of Cape Town City to remain tied with Arrows on 19 points.
Arrows head coach Vusumuzi Vilakazi concedes his players are making life difficult for themselves by switching off towards the end of matches, which is costing them at the moment.
"I think it's one thing that needs our attention in terms of dealing with the psychological aspect from our players," Vilakazi said.
"We seem to lack concentration every time towards the dying minutes of the game so it's room for us that we need to improve and make sure we focus from the beginning until the end of the game."
Maritzburg United will be hoping to keep the momentum going when they take on Chippa United at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Sunday.
The Team of Choice (11th) bolstered their survival chances with three successive victories against Gallants, Royal AM and Arrows to pull five points clear of danger. The Chilli Boys (9th) continued their slide down the table with a 1-1 draw against Thwihli Thwahla last Saturday, which extended their winless run to seven outings.
Elsewhere, league leaders Mamelodi Sundowns will look to take another step towards defending their title when they welcome in-form Sekhukhune United (5th) to Loftus Versfeld on Saturday, while Richards Bay (2nd) and AmaZulu (8th) square off in a KZN derby at the King Goodwill Zwelithini Stadium 24 hours later and Kaizer Chiefs (6th) entertain Royal AM (10th) at the Peter Mokaba Stadium.
DStv Premiership fixtures
Friday:
19h30: Stellenbosch v Cape Town City
Saturday:
15h30: Mamelodi Sundowns v Sekhukhune United
17h30: Swallows v SuperSport United
20h00: Marumo Gallants v Orlando Pirates
Sunday:
15h30: Richards Bay v AmaZulu
15h30: Chippa United v Maritzburg United
17h30: Kaizer Chiefs v Royal AM
17h30: TS Galaxy v Golden Arrows
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