The new Premier Soccer League (PSL) season has got off to a promising start. Big crowds have turned up for the high-profile games, the Friday night extravaganzas are back at Maritzburg United’s Harry Gwala Stadium and the general quality of football seems to have been raised a notch.
The inability of teams to convert their goalscoring opportunities is still a major concern for coaches and fans. There have already been nine goalless draws in the first 50 games of the season. Many of those encounters should at least have produced a few goals had the teams converted what were fairly routine chances.
The most pleasing aspect of the first month of the new season is that defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns have been beaten twice in their first six games. After suffering only three defeats last season — to AmaZulu, Maritzburg and Stellenbosch FC — Masandawana’s early stumbles against TS Galaxy and SuperSport United in this campaign provide encouragement for the chasing pack in their quest to chip away at the Chloorkop dynasty.
Let me be clear, I have nothing but great admiration for Sundowns who have raised the bar in the PSL with the quality of their football with their solid administration. They fully deserve all the success that has come their way.
My only wish, and I’m sure it’s the same for many football lovers countrywide, is for the title race to be spiced up this season rather than being reduced to a procession, as was the case over the past two seasons. In the 2020-21 campaign they finished 13 points ahead of AmaZulu, losing only to a Kaizer Chiefs team coached by Gavin Hunt. Last season the gap was even bigger when they finished 16 points ahead of Cape Town City.
Whether Hunt, who took over as SuperSport coach at the start of the season, and his Stellies counterpart Steve Barker were indulging in reverse psychology with their recent comments that Sundowns were too good for the rest of the teams in the PSL, only they will know.
Financial muscle
“I do think they will win the league again. They just have too much depth, too much quality, too many different options,” said Barker after this team’s 3-0 defeat against the Brazilians on August 24.
Speaking after his team’s 2-0 loss in the MTN8 Hunt reasoned that Sundowns’ financial muscle that has enabled them to buy any player they fancy has weakened the league.
The former Hellenic defender would have been a touch wistful at the Chloorkop side’s new arrivals that includes Bongani Zungu, who returned to the club after a seven-year sojourn in Europe, Chile international midfielder Marcelo Allende, Ethiopian striker Abubeker Nasir and Moroccan defender Abdelmounaim Boutouil.
He would also have cast an envious eye over the departure of Bafana goalkeeper and captain Ronwen Williams who, with Sipho Mbule, moved across the city from SuperSport to Sundowns.
Perhaps the answer about the psychology permeating through the comments lies in Matsatsantsa’s shock 2-1 victory over the champions last Friday night. The wily Hunt, who has four league titles to his credit, knows a thing or two about piling the pressure on the opposition while deflecting it from his charges.
His comments would no doubt have given his team a free hit while transferring the pressure to a Sundowns team that was widely expected to cruise to another win after their 2-0 success in the MTN8 five days earlier.
Yes, the league table may only be at an embryonic stage, but the sight of Royal AM, AmaZulu and Orlando Pirates occupying the first three spots on the table is a refreshing one and offers hope that there could be a title race worthy of the name this season.
The fact that Sundowns start their Caf Champions League campaign on October 7 and that they should be occupied in that competition at least until April when the group stages will be completed will provide more encouragement to the rest of the league as the Brazilians have always regarded continental success as a priority. Should they go all the way to the final they will have continental commitments until June 11.
Manqoba Mngqithi’s team has too much quality and depth to start worrying about the defence of their title at this early stage of the campaign, but a few more setbacks will surely provide as much concern for the Brazilians as it will provide hope for the chasing pack.
While the challengers may sense an opportunity to dethrone Sundowns they will also have to develop consistency to capitalise on whatever gap may open up. Let’s hope there will be excitement and regular changes at the top of the table as the season progresses. It can only be good for the game.
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