Having woken up on Wednesday morning to do the maths to determine how many more wins Mamelodi Sundowns need to complete their seventh successive league title, I realized a few important things.
But before I get to those, let me just say that after they beat Sekhukhune United 2-1 on Tuesday night at Loftus, the answer to the maths question was two. I noted that it could also be one if Stellenbosch FC, who are second on the log at the time of writing, lose to Polokwane City in their next match on Saturday. This is because Sundowns regained a 13-point lead over Stellies with the win on Tuesday, and Stellies have only six matches left, which means they can add only 18 more points to their tally.
Sundowns, on the other hand, have played two games less than their nearest rivals.
The first important thing I realized while punching numbers on the calculator to explore possibilities this week was that Sundowns can actually win the league at Kaizer Chiefs as early as next Thursday. It was announced by the Premier Soccer League on Wednesday morning as I was busy writing this piece that the match between the two big clubs, initially scheduled for next Tuesday at the FNB Stadium, has now been rescheduled for Thursday, so that Sundowns can play another rescheduled fixture on Monday, against TS Galaxy.
Nevertheless, if Stellenbosch win their next two matches – against Polokwane and against Golden Arrows next Wednesday – Sundowns will visit Chiefs needing to win that match to be crowned champions once again. I realize how important it would be to have the Brazilians’s coronation at the home of one of their arch-rivals, especially at a time when the rivals can’t buy a win.
That situation would be important to make the Kaizer Chiefs bosses realize just how far behind they have fallen, and the urgency with which they need to address what’s happening (or not happening) at their club. I feel that the club has, for some reason, failed to address their trophy drought problem with the seriousness that it requires, and have even failed to learn from their counterparts how to bounce back from a difficult period.
There are many things that prove this true, among them the flippancy with which they’ve fired and hired coaches – evidenced by the choice of coaches and the regularity of the firing and hiring – as well as player recruitment. In these two areas, Chiefs have for the last several years failed to carefully apply their minds before acting.
The result of that can be seen in the 10th place that they currently occupy on the DStv Premiership log with just six matches left. To have Sundowns rubbing salt into the wound next Thursday by beating them to win their record-extending seventh successive league title in their backyard would be just the kind of wake-up call that they deserve.
I also realize that, because Sundowns need Stellenbosch to win their next two matches in order for that to be possible, the two Stellies wins would create another interesting subplot in the race to finish second.
The team from the winelands currently hold a three-point lead over third-placed Orlando Pirates, with both sides having played 24 matches. Pirates would, of course, want to finish second, like they did last season, in order to have another shot at the CAF Champions League. But I don’t believe their current coach Jose Riveiro will help them achieve that. The man is overrated, and I love that there’s now the perfect opportunity to see just how accurate that assessment is with the race to finish behind Sundowns.
Given the difference in size, financial muscle, and history between the two clubs, Pirates shouldn’t even be competing with a club like Stellenbosch for that spot. But here they are, the winners of three domestic trophies in the past two seasons, trailing the tiny winelands club by three points in the run-in after losing twice to them in the league this season. My prediction is that Stellies will beat Pirates to the second spot, and that will hopefully teach all of us the truth that this Pirates side is not as good as it usually seems when playing.
As for Sundowns, they are easily marching to their 14th league title and seventh in a row, which again reveals the truth about just how far ahead they are of everyone else.
* Featured image: FARPost
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