Winners & Losers – PSL

For Chiefs and the latter City needed the comeback wins following midweek defeats. For Polokwane City, it was another step forward in what has been an impressive season.

Meanwhile, there was good news for the country in the CAF competition, with Orlando Pirates winning their group, Sundowns progressing and Stellenbosch also going through despite defeat. Winners & Losers is a statistical summary of the weekend action.

Winners

Orlando Pirates

This was seen as the toughest Group when this stage began, but Pirates came out having beaten Al Ahly and CR Belouizdad in their backyards. Impressively, they have done so with many young players given a chance. Pirates have earned more points from their six group games than any other team in the competition. But this result will linger long in the memory.

3 – This was Pirates’ 3rd win away to Al Ahly, more than any other PSL side.

Sundowns

Another CAF Group stage, and another progression for the Brazilians. It wasn’t plain sailing though, with FAR Rabat equalizing late on, but the PSL champions had done enough to get over the line. They will be slightly annoyed with second place and being unseeded for the next round, but qualification is the important thing at this point.

7 – Downs have reached the Last 8 of the Champions League for the seventh straight season.

PSL sides in CAF

Two South African teams will appear in the Last 8 of the CAF Champions League in the same season for only the second time, after Sundowns & Chiefs in the 2020/21 edition. Including Stellenbosch (Confederations Cup quarter-finalists), there will be three PSL teams in the latter stage of both continental competitions.

Relebohile Mofokeng

If Jose Riveiro deserves praise for the boldness of a plan that included fielding young players, then the young players deserved just as much praise for making the plan work. Mofokeng has been a revelation domestically, and now is proving his potential on the biggest stage.

1 – Mofokeng is the youngest player in PSL history to score in three consecutive CAF Champions League matches.

Kaizer Chiefs

At half-time, Chiefs must have felt frustrated. They dominated possession and created chances, but failed to score, with the Sekhukhune keeper Ali Sangare making five saves in the first half. But the young Chiefs squad did not give up and kept pressing until the end. The late goal was deserved, even if the red card was soft.

36 – Chiefs have created 36 big chances in the league this season, more than any other side.

Muhsin Ertugral

Three wins in four for the experienced coach, as many as Eric Tinkler managed in the 10 games before. The coach will be particularly happy with the fighting spirit that ensured a comeback.

1-0 – Ten of Cape Town City’s last 11 league wins have been by a one-goal margin.

Phuti Mohafe

One of the less fancied coaches in the league, going about his business quietly. His team’s performances are making him impossible to ignore.

25 – 25 points from 14 games is Polokwane City’s best-ever points haul at this stage and guarantees their highest tally at the halfway stage of a PSL top-flight campaign.

Losers

SuperSport United

Only bottom-of-the-table Magesi (4) have scored fewer goals than SuperSport (5) this season. Their season is not in crisis; they are 9 points behind the team in 3rd. But equally worrying is that they are only nine points above Magesi at the bottom.

9 – SuperSport have failed to score in 9 games this season, more than they managed in any of their last six full seasons.

Richards Bay

They did well to get the early lead but contrived to give it away, meaning the Rich Boyz’ poor away record goes on.

1 – Richards Bay has won one league game outside KZN in 16 months (P16 W1 D3 L12)