DSTV Prem Weekend Review – Winners And Losers By OptaJabu

Check out our winners and losers from this past weekend’s DStv Premiership action by OptaJabu.

Richards Bay – Winner

A newly promoted side leads the Winners’ section this week, and it is rightly deserved. Almost everyone loves an underdog story, and as such, new sides are often the neutral’s favourite or at least many people’s second team. The Rich Boys of Natal started their life in the top-flight with victory in a local derby (against Golden Arrows), and will now look at their next two fixtures (Marumo Gallants & Sekhukhune at home) and classify them as “winnable”. Building early season momentum could be key. The last thing you want in a new league is to be scrapping for relegation, where you are usually pitted against sides like Chippa & Swallows FC, who have the know-how to survive such battles. That conversation is still far off, and for now, Coach Pitso Dladla can bask in the glory:

1998/99 – Richards Bay are only the second newly-promoted side in PSL history to win their opening top-flight game when it’s played away from home, and the first since Seven Stars beat Moroka Swallows in 1998/99.

Themba Zwane – Winner

Going into this game, Sundowns‘ record against Cape Town City wasn’t exactly supreme. Last season, Downs beat every team in the league at least once except for one: Cape Town City. This season, they immediately corrected that anomaly, winning 2-0 on opening day. Aubrey Modiba’s opener was a stunner, but Themba Zwane’s smart finish provided the security that was needed. This was Zwane’s first goal against Cape Town City, meaning he’s scored at least once against every current top-flight club he’s faced except Swallows FC (Played 2). He became the first player in PSL top-flight history to score in four consecutive season-opening games – Thabang Lebese (1996/97 – 98/99) and Lerato Chabangu (2012/13 – 14/15) previously shared that record with him. Not only did Zwane set himself apart from the pair, but he also set himself apart in Sundowns’ history books.

10 – This is the 10th different season Themba Zwane scores a league goal in Sundowns colours. No player has scored in more different seasons in the club’s history (Surprise Moriri also 10).

Jose Riviero – Winner

A significant victory for a coach who is arguably under the most scrutiny in the league at the moment. Riviero is an unknown entity to South African shores as much as Romain Folz, but only one of these coaches is in charge of a club the size of Orlando Pirates. What better way to start your stint than with 3 points at home in front of a massive crowd:

7 – Pirates are unbeaten in seven season-opening league matches (W4 D3 since 2016), their longest such run in the PSL era.

Eva Nga – Winner

Two years ago, Eva Nga became the first Cameroonian international to score a PSL hat-trick since Jean Paul Bang-Penda in 1997. This weekend, he became the first Cameroonian to score for Orlando Pirates in the PSL. In the last two seasons, Pirates have scored 33 & 34 goals respectively – a lowly return for a side with their ambitions.

Is the Cameroonian striker the answer?

Royal AM

Three games against Kaizer Chiefs have resulted in 3 wins. In case you’re wondering, that is impressive:

100% – Royal AM are the first side in PSL history to win each of their first three league matches against Kaizer Chiefs.

Bradley Grobler

Grobler came to the rescue for Gavin Hunt, netting a late equaliser for Matsatsantsa.

11 – Grobler now needs just 11 goals to reach 100 goals as a PSL player. Only 5 players have reached 100 goals previously.

Kaizer Chiefs – Loser

Living up to a rich heritage has not always been easy for recent Kaizer Chiefs coaches. Steve Komphela, Giovanni Solinas, Ernst Middendorp, Gavin Hunt and a returning Stuart Baxter have all tried (and failed) to take Chiefs back to the glory years. The appointment of club legend Arthur Zwane was supposed to be a reversion to a focus on club culture as a foundation for building a successful team. But Matchday 1 results showed that there is still a long way to go for this Kaizer Chiefs team.

It’s not that the Chiefs played badly; they created enough chances (and took more shots than any other team this weekend). While that sounds like an impressive stat, the truth is they were chasing the game for 90 minutes and had to take attempts against a defence that sat back. Maritzburg at home on Tuesday takes on extra significance when you consider that their 3rd game of the season is against the defending champions Sundowns. Failure to win on Tuesday may leave Zwane with a mountain to climb – a mountain that already looks steep:

2 – Only two teams have won the PSL title after losing their first game of the season – 1996/97 Manning Rangers & 2007/08 Supersport.

Kaizer Chiefs – Loser

Living up to a rich heritage has not always been easy for recent Kaizer Chiefs coaches. Steve Komphela, Giovanni Solinas, Ernst Middendorp, Gavin Hunt and a returning Stuart Baxter have all tried (and failed) to take Chiefs back to the glory years. The appointment of club legend Arthur Zwane was supposed to be a reversion to a focus on club culture as a foundation for building a successful team. But Matchday 1 results showed that there is still a long way to go for this Kaizer Chiefs team.

It’s not that the Chiefs played badly; they created enough chances (and took more shots than any other team this weekend). While that sounds like an impressive stat, the truth is they were chasing the game for 90 minutes and had to take attempts against a defence that sat back. Maritzburg at home on Tuesday takes on extra significance when you consider that their 3rd game of the season is against the defending champions Sundowns. Failure to win on Tuesday may leave Zwane with a mountain to climb – a mountain that already looks steep:

2 – Only two teams have won the PSL title after losing their first game of the season – 1996/97 Manning Rangers & 2007/08 Supersport.

Golden Arrows – Loser

This was only the second time in PSL history that a team suffered an opening day defeat at home to a newly promoted side (also 1998/99 Moroka Swallows).

The PSL – Loser

Tickets to the Royal AM game were circulating on social media in the last couple of days. The amateurish nature of the easily forgeable printed paper tickets would normally be funny, except this time it could easily be a recipe for another stadium disaster. Someone needs to act on this, and fast.

10 – 10 goals were scored by all teams on Matchday 1, the lowest ever combined total for all teams combined in their 1st matches in PSL history (the previous lowest was 11 in 4 different seasons).