DStv Premiership Review – Winners And Losers By Opta Jabu

Opta Jabu combs through the numbers to bring out the biggest winners and losers from the weekend domestic football action.

Winners

Cape Town City & Keeping Faith – Winner

Up to third on the log heading into the international break, Cape Town City is the one team that has taken advantage of Sundowns’ six-week absence from the league. While other “challengers” have looked devoid of energy and ideas at some stage in the last six weeks, City have been the opposite. Pirates have scored four goals in five games, Chiefs have taken three points from a possible 12, while SuperSport have dropped points in back-to-back games against Polokwane City and Sekhukhune United.

Meanwhile, City have been relentless, winning more points than any other side (15) and outscoring them all (11 goals). If the league table from 27 September (i.e one without the champions) is a peep into what the PSL would look like without Sundowns, John Comitis would be a very happy man. Just over a month ago, City were enduring their worst-ever run – losing five on the trot for the first time. For many owners, a five-game losing run would be the rubber-stamp for parting ways with the coach. City’s prolonged faith in Tinkler suddenly has a sweet taste to it. Not only is Tinkler repaying that faith at the moment, but he has been doing that for a while.

2015 – This is the first time Golden Arrows have won four in a row in all competitions since a 6-game run eight years ago (in February 2015). They were in the Division 1 then.

51 – Only Sundowns (63) have accumulated more points since the start of 2023 than Cape Town City (51)

Eric Tinkler – Winner

Since Eric Tinkler’s appointment in June 2021, only Sundowns (165) and Orlando Pirates (120) have won more points than Cape Town City.

• 165 – Sundowns (70 games)
• 120 – Pirates (72)
• 119 – Cape Town City (74)
• 118 – SuperSport (73)
• 111 – Chiefs (73)

Not only has Tinkler brought an end to that record five-game losing run in September, he has gone on to engineer a contrasting record for the club.

5 – Cape Town City have now won five league games in a row, a new club record.

AmaZulu Getting An Away Win – Winner

Coming into this game, AmaZulu were winless away in the league this season. In fact, they had won one away league game in the last 14 months (P19 W1 D10 L8 – a run that began in September 2022). This may have been a local derby, but it certainly makes that away record look better. Most striking was the resilience they showed in coming from behind to win late on, with all three goals coming after 80 minutes. For the first time in five years, AmaZulu trailed a league game at half-time and came back to win (since August 2018).

1 – This was the first time in PSL history that AmaZulu scored three goals after 80 minutes in a league game.

Brandon Truter – Winner

Speaking of comebacks, Sekhukhune’s comeback victory over SuperSport was a much-needed result that relieved the pressure going into a two-week international break.

1 – This is the first time since their 2021 promotion that Sekhukhune United won a league game after conceding the first goal (D5 L26 from this situation before).

Augustine Chidi Kwem – Winner

Chidi Kwem is the first player to score a hat-trick in the league this season, and the first Nigerian to do so since Prince Olomu in November 2007. Overall, he is the fourth Nigerian player to score a league hat-trick in the PSL:

• Tony Ilodigwe (March 2000, African Wanderers v Mother City)
• Prince Olomu (Nov 2007, Free State Stars v Platinum Stars)
• Raphael Chukwu (Jan 1998, Sundowns v Wits)

Sundowns – Winner

Still on top of the table, despite not playing a league game in six weeks.

Losers

SuperSport And Dropped Points – Loser

Failure to get at least one win against Polokwane and Sekhukhune in the space of five days means SuperSport missed the chance to go top of the table in Sundowns’ absence. In hindsight, it looks like an opportunity wasted, especially with the Tshwane derby vs Sundowns scheduled as their next league game. Whisper it, but a four-point lead going into the home game against the champions would have been a very strong position. Failing to take advantage of their absence and go into the international break at the top of the league could be seen as a psychological blow. What will annoy Gavin Hunt is that they had these points in the bag, conceding late both times.

“But anyways I’m proud of the players but what can you do? We have to blame ourselves a little bit because we missed chances…” – Gavin Hunt after the midweek draw with Polokwane City.

3 – This is only the third time SuperSport dropped points in back-to-back league games under Gavin Hunt, and the first time since 2012 (November 2010, December 2012, November 2023).

Golden Arrows – Loser

Chippa were the only team not to receive a red card last season. They received 2 red cards in one half against AmaZulu.That’s three defeats in a row for Mabhuti Khanyeza and his side. Just two weeks ago, he was the man of the moment after beating Kaizer Chiefs. By allowing AmaZulu 67% ball possession in this game (their highest in a league game this season), Arrows may have overestimated their ability to stay resolute in defence after taking the lead.

January 2020 – The last time Arrows lost a league game they were winning at half-time was in January 2020 (pre-Covid).

Cape Town Spurs And Misfortune – Loser

Another loss, but there are mitigating factors including a late penalty miss. Spurs have now hit the woodwork five times this season; only SuperSport (6) have done so on more occasions.