By the Numbers: DStv Premiership

Laduma Analytics is back and looks at some of the underlying DStv Premiership numbers from this weekend’s and last night’s action.

AmaZulu FC v Kaizer Chiefs

January is proving to be a difficult month for AmaKhosi as they slumped to another loss – this time going down 4-0 to AmaZulu FC. For many fans and pundits alike, Coach Arthur Zwane made a very odd remark in his post-match press conference, pointing out that his team had opportunities to dominate the game, even though they were slumped 4-0. They did indeed create plenty of chances and yet again failed to score their first goal(s) of 2023. 

In greater detail, we can examine the table below, showing when each team had more passes, touches in the opposition third, touches in the opposition box and shots taken. What is eye-catching from the start is that for the majority of the game – within 15-minute periods, Chiefs had more of the ball. Take for example the first 15-minute period (104 passes attempted to Amazulu’s 48 passes). 

Defensive Issues

For all their efforts of controlling the ball, Chiefs conceded two poor goals from corners, another one from a poor back-pass (Edmilson Dove to his goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune) and the last one from poor defensive positioning. It does beg the question – what the team has been doing for two months during the World Cup break.

Attacking

If the defence is an issue, then the attack is a close second. In the game versus AmaZulu FC, the Glamour Boys had:

15 – the number of shots taken by Chiefs in the game vs AmaZulu FC

5 – shots on target

1.35 – the number of non-penalty expected goals created vs AmaZulu

The problem is not the quantity of opportunities that the team is creating, it is about the quality behind their opportunities. The quality is lacking in the creation of chances as well as the ability to finish those chances – evidenced by the following.

35 – the number of shots taken by AmaKhosi over the first two games of 2023

8 – the number of shots on target after two games in 2023

0 – goals scored

With their next game against defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns (who themselves are on a record run of clean sheets), it might be another weekend before AmaKhosi fans will get an opportunity to celebrate a goal.

Orlando Pirates v Lamontville Golden Arrows

Orlando Pirates have finally joined the party – scoring their first second-half league goals of the 2022/23 season. As the game was drawing to a close, it nearly seemed as if the Bucs were on their way to another draw – after having started the game well, scoring first, like they have done so many times this season.

Jose Riviero’s men created 1.89 xG, their highest expected goals total since their draw against AmaZulu FC (1.94 xG) back in mid-October. Between then and the Golden Arrows game, they managed to create average xG totals (1.29, 1.23, 0.63 and 0.66 xG) indicating possible reasons behind their goal-scoring struggles.

The table above breaks down their attacking metrics in 15-minute periods, helping us to understand their issues with goal-scoring in the second half. Even looking at the shots column below, the sheer number of opportunities taken in the second half would rival Mamelodi Sundowns, yet the Bucs’ execution of chances has severely lacked this term. Considering the number of attacking options available to Riviero and his team, it has to be a moment of relief.

Overall, their 1st half versus 2nd half shooting maps show that the team were extremely wasteful in the second half of games – taking more shots yet hitting the target less often (approximately 30 shots difference) in the second half of games. 

Mamelodi Sundowns v SuperSport United

Mamelodi Sundowns won their 11th game in a row on Monday evening as they beat local rivals SuperSport United 1-0 at Loftus Versfeld Stadium. The win avenged the 2-1 loss that the champions suffered to their rivals back in September and opens up a 14-point gap to surprise second-place Richards Bay, whilst SuperSport United remain third on the log.