09 March 2020, by: Thabang Kgeledi

PSL Talking Points – Matchday 24

Amazulu shocked (fixed) the country and beat log-leading Kaizer Chiefs, Orlando Pirates underwhelm (again) and Maritzburg United are playing the best football in the league. Check out the talking point of this weeks Absa Premiership action.It’s never easy being on top. Opponents study the way you play as they try to drop kick you off your high horse. Kaizer Chiefs came up against, at the time, last-placed Amazulu on Saturday. On paper, this game was a mismatch.

Amazulu had issues with their coach, had only won one in their last gazillion games, and didn’t know what a goal was even if it kicked them in the crotch. Chiefs, on the other hand, were coming off a hard-fought win against their rivals in the Soweto derby and were sitting comfortably atop the league table.Amakhosi huffed and puffed in the first 45 minutes but couldn’t get a goal with Leonardo Castro getting my vote for ‘worst miss of the half’ award. Then just a minute before the referee would send them to their respective locker rooms, Amazulu, against the run of play, scored via a counter-attack. Kaizer Chiefs 0-1 Amazulu.

Ernst Middendorp made a couple of offensive substitutions at the beginning of the second stanza. Amazulu decided to park their double-decker Inter-Cape bus for the rest of the encounter. The tactic worked. Usuthu held on to their lead and got an unlikely victory.

??: Hello? ??

?: Hi, who is this? ?

??: It’s South Africa, we need your help Cobra! ??

?: How can I assist? ?

??: The country needs fixing… ?

?: Say less, I’m on the way ?#Usuthu_Pride pic.twitter.com/xS1tRcbWWF

— AmaZulu FC (@AmaZuluFootball) March 8, 2020

Calm down Makhosi… it’s not the end of the world. Even after your loss to bottom-of-the-table, likely-to-get-relegated Amazulu, your team still have their fate in their own hands. Should Kaizer Chiefs win all eight of their remaining games, they win the league. However, Chiefs drop any more points. Sundowns have been knocked out the CAF Champions League.

Pitso Mosimane as his team will come out gun blazing in their attempt to retain their Absa Premiership title.You know that period in a romantic relationship when it feels fresh and exciting. You’re constantly learning new things about each other and having first experiences together. But there comes a time when you suddenly start getting annoyed with the constant phone calls, the emotional blackmail, and the toll on your bank balance. That’s called the honeymoon phase.

The Buccaneers relationship with coach Jo Zinnbauer started with five wins in five games and it seemed as though nothing could go wrong. Now Orlando Pirates and their new German mentor have reached the conclusion of their honeymoon phase. Signs of the beginning of the end started three games back, with their game against Black Leopards.Pirates didn’t play well but got the win thanks to an own goal in the last minute of the match. They lost the Soweto derby last weekend and were underwhelming in their stale 0-0 draw against Golden Arrows on Saturday evening.

Sure, they were never going to continue their run of wiping the floor with every team forever. Pirates rejuvenation under Zinnbauer cannot be denied but they are few steps away from being a well-oiled machine that can compete for top honours in my opinion.Maritzburg won their fourth league game in a row against Polokwane City thanks to a cracker of a goal from Daylon Claasen on Friday evening. Last season, Maritzburg were reeling from the loss of a couple of their first-team players. They ended up finishing in the relegation/promotion playoffs. They managed to sneak their way back to the PSL. This season, United are back to filling the Harry Gwala Stadium to capacity and playing the best football in the league right now.

Daylon Claasen and Keagan Buchanan have been a revelation in the midfield. Some are even saying they should be called up to the Bafana Bafana squad. Tinker has a top-five quality squad. Players like Ghana Internation goalkeeper Richard Ofori, quality young centre-back Rushine De Reuck and diminutive clinical striker Thabiso Kutumela. Eric Tinkler has given them every chance to succeed.Polokwane City fell 1-0 to Maritzburg United, Baroka battered Black Leopards 2-0 and Amazulu shocked the country by beating Kaizer Chiefs 0-1.

As mentioned before, Polokwane City came up against a quality Maritzburg team. They made a game of it. It took Claasen to score a wonder goal in the 82nd minute to put City to bed.

Baroka scored late in the first half and finished Black Leopards off with 10 minutes of regulation to go with their second goal. Leopards played well… again… but failed to score… again.

Amazulu found their goal in transition and then defended a predictable Amakhosi attack.

The biggest winners of the weekend are Baroka. Bakgaha, Polokwane City, Amazulu are on 23 points while bottom of the table black leopards are on 20.

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