At this point of the ABSA Premiership Season, who are the favorites?

Kaizer Chiefs Warm-up

Image Credits: Getty Images

Mamelodi Sundowns were crowned champions of South Africa for the second consecutive year after seeing off Orlando Pirates at the top of the summit by just two points. But the main question on everyone’s mind as the 2019/20 campaign kicked off was can they make it three titles in a row,  and take home the crown for the 10th time, editing the history books in the process.

Pitso Mosimane ‘s men dramatically retained their championship after fending off fierce competition from Orlando Pirates and Bidvest Wits who were only 6 points adrift from being named champions.

There was a lot of excitement prior to the beginning of the 2019/20 season and it has provided nothing short of that. The title race was expected to be a two-horse race between Sundowns and Orlando Pirates, but halfway through the season that thought seems like a distant memory as several teams have come up to break Bafana BaStyle and the Buccaneers’ dominance at the top for the past two years. But who can really be considered as favorites at this point in the season?

“Amakhosi currently hold the best wins record in the league (74%) averaging 2.37 points per game but more importantly, their away record is currently the best in the Absa Premiership. Why is this important? ”

— Feyisayo Stephens, FirstTouch Africa

Kaizer Chiefs

Amakhosi were definitely not considered to be in the race for the title at the beginning of the season following their truly devastating 9th place finish in the 2018/19 season. However, a change of fortunes have seen them move nine points clear of second-placed Orlando Pirates having played one game less. Doubts, disappointments and a whole lot more filled the Arrowhead Stadium as the 2019/20 campaign kicked off. Fans were not entirely convinced that Ernst Midderndorp was the right man to lead them to their first title since the 2014/15 campaign. An unprosperous transfer window that saw only five new signings and about ten departures during the summer did not improve the atmosphere around the club either. Now, 19 games into the new season, that all seems like an extinct memory as Chiefs look like a title-winning side again. Amakhosi currently hold the best wins record in the league (74%) averaging 2.37 points per game but more importantly, their away record is currently the best in the Absa Premiership. Why is this important? That is the one thing all teams which have been crowned champions have in common, they always had an incredible away record and if Chiefs are able to maintain their great away form they might be on their way to the title.

Mamelodi Sundowns

It would be impossible to have this conversation without including Pitso Mosimane’s men. The Brazilians are on the verge of rewriting the history books with the 10th title in sight. This record will definitely be a motivating factor as the Brazilians are trying to make it three in three. Sundowns have taken 35 points from their first 18 games this campaign, managing a 54% win rate. This has left them ten-point adrift from the top of the summit. Pitso has openly considered Chiefs to be favorites after their 4-2 defeat at the hands of the former. The CAF Champions League played a huge role in that defeat and the title race at large, but is that really enough reason for the huge gap at the top of the table? Sundowns definitely have their work cut out for them if they wish to make it a hat-trick of titles, but if any team can recover from a 10-point deficit it would definitely be Sundowns. Their team boasts one of the best coaches to ever grace African football and a very talented squad. Besides they pulled that one on Pirates last season, that is coming from behind to win the title.

Mamelodi Sundows Celebrations

Image Credits: Getty Images

Bidvest Wits

Having pushed Orlando Pirates and Sundowns all the way last campaign, the 2016/17 champions would like to have the crown once again, and with an experienced and well-decorated coach in the person of Gavin Hunt adding talents such as the Bafana Bafana trio of Thulani Hlatshwayo, Buhle Mkhwanazi and Sifiso Hlanti in their side, makes their hunt for the title achievable. The Clever Boys are currently down in fifth place, 15 points from the title leaders Kaizer Chiefs but they have 5 games in hand. Only Kaizer Chiefs have a better win rate than Wits. Their defence which consists of the South African trio, has helped Wits to maintain the best defence in the league conceding only 12 goals and are just 3 goals away for matching Sundowns scoring form this season and still with a massive number of games in hand to do all of that. Gavin might have verbally thrown in the towel when he said, “Give the league title to Kaizer chiefs already,” earlier in December, but we all know very well that the title race is not over until it’s over.

Who’s your pick? Which side will go all the way? Let us know in the comments below

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Are Zimbabwean imports to SA football just as important as Spaniards are to the EPL?

In every continent, there are a number of competitive soccer leagues that every player from within that continent aspires to play in. For instance, in Africa, the South African ABSA Premiership is by far the biggest competition and most of the continental players dream of playing in that league if not in Europe. The same applies to the English Premier League in Europe where we find many Spaniards pushing for moves to play in a country popularly known for the unfavourable winter weather. This piece is a brief comparison between Zimbabwean imports to South African soccer and the Spanish players to the EPL.

Liverpool Manager Rafael Benitez chats with Fernando Torres of Liverpool prior to the Barclays Premier League match between Liverpool and Everton at Anfield on January 19, 2009 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images) * Local Caption * Fernando Torres;Rafael Benitez

(Jan. 19, 2009 - Source: Alex Livesey/Getty Images Europe)

With recent trends of quite a number of Zimbabweans moving to South Africa to pursue their career in football, one would wonder if these imports are just as important as the Spaniards are to the English Premier League. The answer is yes. And here’s why.

Although these players are from different parts of the world and from different cultures, they somewhat contribute to the game in the same way. The Spaniards for example are very technically gifted players whose presence completes their teams. David Silva, Juan Mata and Santi Cazorla are just but a few Spanish players who are/were indispensable in their respective teams. This is because they brought that technical ability, vision, and killer passes that cannot be found in most of the players from the rest of the European continent.

The same can be said about Zimbabwean players. Not in the sense of their technical abilities nor their popularity in making deadly passes, instead, they bring their unique attributes to the South African teams. Zimbabwean players are known for their tireless efforts throughout the 90 minutes. Be it legends like Tinashe Nengomasha who appeared for Kaizer Chiefs and Esrom Nyandoro in Mamelodi Sundowns colors and even Willard Katsande of this generation, they all have that grit. Coincidentally, these above mentioned players all played in the defensive midfield role and some might argue that they ought to have that hard working mentality which is demanded of the position. However, even attackers like Khama Billiat still work their socks off from the top end of the pitch.

Furthermore, the Spaniards are quite more affordable than investing in a local English soccer player. The amazing talents of David Silva were acquired by Manchester City for a cut-price of £35 million in 2013 from Valencia. This is relatively affordable compared to the amount of money invested in buying raw talent from Liverpool by Manchester City. They paid £50 million for the 23-year old winger who was far from being a finished article. As a result, these Spanish players become more significant to the English teams because they are more affordable in the inflated market.

Wiyanda Zwane of Lamontville Golden Arrows is tackled by Willard Katsande (R) of Kaizer Chiefs during the Absa Premiership match between Golden Arrows and Kaizer Chiefs at Moses Mabhida Stadium on December 19, 2013 in Durban, South Africa.

(Dec. 18, 2013 - Source: Gallo Images/Getty Images Europe)

Zimbabweans are undeniably more affordable options for South African teams as well. For example, Knowledge Musona moved to Kaizer Chiefs for an undisclosed fee believed to be in the region of US$10,000 and became the most important player in the league. This was around the time that South African strikers like Katlego Mphela were making a name for themselves. These players were valued almost five times more than the Zimbabwean. As a result, the top teams in the ABSA Premiership emphasised on recruiting Zimbabwean talent.

Furthermore, the recruitment team recommends players whom they think will improve their teams and eventually help to win the competitions they participate in. In England, most of the clubs who recruited Spanish international were made not to regret their investments as they have helped their teams to glory. Take Fernando Torres at Liverpool for instance and how he helped them win the UEFA Champions League under Rafa Benitez. Spanish defender Cesar Azpilicueta has won the English Premier League on a number of occasions.

The winning teams in the ABSA Premiership also had their players from the north of the boarder who had their fair share of contribution in their title winning campaigns. Khama Billiat, Tinashe Nengomasha, Willard Katsande etc. have all won trophies for their respective clubs.

Because of that, I think Zimbabwean imports to South African football are just as important as Spaniards are to the English Premier League.

Is the English Premier League similar to the ABSA Premiership?

“However, even so, some players are seen being transferred to South Africa for special treatment. Adam Lallana of Liverpool came to Africa for his rehabilitation after his latest lengthy injury. This shows that South Africa provides the ABSA Premiership with the infrastructure that a player needs when they are on the treatment table.”

— Tinotenda Magiya, FirstTouch Africa

Being an avid soccer fan brings some exposure that another can only imagine. Following your favourite club in the English Premier League brings knowledge about the league, that is the culture of football in England, media coverage, infrastructure only to mention but just a few. However, being from Africa, I am also exposed to the South African ABSA Premiership which is quite entertaining. Passionately following local football has helped me in realizing the similarities between the English Premier League and the South African ABSA Premiership. The most notable one being the fact that both the ABSA Premiership and the EPL are widely regarded as the best domestic leagues on their respective continents. Allow me to compare the two.

Collectively, the English Premier League teams have the biggest financial backing in the world let alone the European continent. The English clubs have enough funding to compete with European clubs 2x bigger and with a richer history than them. For example, Chelsea managed to steal Eden Hazard from Lille under the noses of Real Madrid who were also interested in the player back in 2012. Today, only Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona and Real Madrid can compete with the likes of Manchester City, Chelsea and Manchester United on the transfer market. This dominance sees the best players joining the English League and improving the level of competition. The South African ABSA Premiership is also the dominant league in Africa with the largest financial backing. To put things into perspective, the local cup competition in South Africa has bigger prize money than the CAF tournament - which happens to be the “UEFA Champions League” for African teams.

Secondly, fan support in England has some striking resemblances with that down south. Many soccer fans support their local teams before other global teams. The population of Luton is about 211,000 and most of the locals support Luton Town despite the club being in the 2nd division. They attend the matches whenever and wherever they are played. This however does not mean that they cannot have other teams they support in the English Premier League, Spanish La Liga, Italian Serie A, French Ligue 1, German Bundesliga among others. Same applies to fan support in South Africa. The locals support their teams just as much as they support the likes of Manchester United and Real Madrid. There are intense derby matches respected in South Africa just as much as the El Classico in Spain. The South Africans sing at the top of their lungs and blow the vuvuzela creating an amazing atmosphere for the home teams.

Roman Pavlyuchenko and Tinashe Nengomasha of Chiefs during the 2011 Vodacom Challenge match between Kaizer Chiefs and Tottenham Hotspur at Peter Mokaba Stadium on July 16, 2011 in Polokwane, South Africa.

(July 15, 2011 - Source: Gallo Images/Getty Images Europe)

England has some of the best soccer stadiums in the present day. Walking into Anfield, Emirates Stadium, Old Trafford, Stamford Bridge and Etihad as a visitor is a frightening experience if you’re supporting the away team on the night. However, it is a lovely experience for the tourists who tour the stadiums in admiration of the work put into building these artefacts built decades ago. Africa has made efforts to follow in these footsteps if not bettering them. The 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa saw many state of the art stadiums built across the African nation. To date, we take pride in the turfs at Moses Mabhida, FNB Stadium among others. These stadiums were beautifully made and can easily be used to host some of the biggest matches in world football.

Some players prefer to play in the English Premier League because of the quality of treatment given to injured players. The infrastructure in the country is up there with the best which makes it conducive for players to give their all on the pitch knowing they will be taken care of in case of accidents. However, even so, some players are seen being transferred to South Africa for special treatment. Adam Lallana of Liverpool came to Africa for his rehabilitation after his latest lengthy injury. This shows that South Africa provides the ABSA Premiership with the infrastructure that a player needs when they are on the treatment table.

However, based on their geographical locations, there are bound to be differences between the two soccer leagues. I think what separates the South African ABSA Premiership from any other league is the style of play. I find this more entertaining because of the number of long shots taken in this competition which keeps the average fan on the edge of their seats. Hlompho Kekana is the common culprit causing this discomfort. Watch the ABSA Premiership, and you’ll know what I am talking about.