PSL Round 18: Five talking poi

Jan Olde Riekerink coach of Cape Town City with John Comitis Chairman of Cape Town City during Absa Premiership match between Bidvest Wits and Cape Town City on 20 December 2019 at Dobsonville Stadium, Pic BackpagePix

PSL Round 18: Five talking points that have surfaced on playing field

After the latest round of PSL fixtures, below are the major talking points from the weekend’s action and five things we learnt from the matches.

PSL Round 18: Five talking poi

Jan Olde Riekerink coach of Cape Town City with John Comitis Chairman of Cape Town City during Absa Premiership match between Bidvest Wits and Cape Town City on 20 December 2019 at Dobsonville Stadium, Pic BackpagePix

1. Cape Town City not too good to go down

The old adage that a team is never too good to go down, may this season apply to City, who have taken a mere six points from eight games under Jan Olde Riekerink. The side can be excused somewhat for their low tempo in the heat against Kaizer Chiefs, but their overall style of play is more ponderous and more passive since Benni McCarthy left the club.

A look at the form table for the last 15 matches shows them in 15th place and only five points from three games to open this season is keeping the side out of the relegation zone.

The recruitment has to be a major talking point as the club have been without a dependable backup right-back since the day they were formed, and facing Chiefs twice without their captain, Thami Mkhize, this season (once in the league and once in the cup) has seen Craig Martin fill in there, giving City a visible weak link and a drop-off in pace — and further threat in looking forward.

2. Chiefs’ squad players impress

Aside from the excellent form of Leonardo Castro last week and the continued quiet excellence of the lesser-heralded George Maluleka, two players who came in and did an excellent job for the last two matches, were fullbacks Kgotso Moleko and Siphosakhe Ntiya-Ntiya.

With Khama Billiat hopefully back before the end of the month and Anthony Akumu set to be signed to add energy to an overworked midfield, there still appears to be extra weapons and avenues for Chiefs to win matches in the run-in, and there is plenty of depth in defence.

3. Highlands Park’s defensive woes

After the Chiefs game in midweek where Owen Da Gama substituted Abdi Banda after an error-prone display, he changed three of the back-four for their Stellenbosch visit. At left-back was Sifiso Mbhele with the side having used Luckyboy Mokoena in that role for their previous two matches.

With Sello Motsepe starting at centre-back too, and the ever-dependable, long-throw merchant Ryan Rae missing through injury, the side shipped four goals.

Having started the season with 14 points from their first eight games, the side are on a run of just nine points from their last 10 matches. Although no one expects them to be dragged into the relegation battle, perhaps the team is now jaded from starting preseason in mid-June, a couple of weeks earlier than everyone else.

4. Brockie’s barren run continues

Saturdays’s 0-0 draw on a terrible playing surface between Chippa United and Maritzburg United saw Jeremy Brockie skew a late chance wide of goals. The Kiwi forward has not scored all season, is struggling to get regular minutes on the field and is not offering very much when he does.

At this rate, he could have a largely watching brief for the final 13 matches of this campaign and who knows where that leaves him at parent club, Mamelodi Sundowns in June. His decline is sad to see, having announced himself in South Africa as a deadly finisher.

As for the game itself, Chippa barely threatened and were dead on their feet by the end, but Norman Mapeza deserves credit for getting his back six to be so solid in recent weeks despite having their best central defender, Frederic Nsabiyumva, on the bench.

5. SuperSport exposes slow, old Usuthu

In probably the most predictable result of the weekend, a SuperSport United side featuring the pace of Evans Rusike and Kudakwashe Mahachi in the wide areas, put AmaZulu to the sword. With veterans, Tsepo Masilela and Michael Morton at fullback, Kaitano Tembo’s men ran riot in the first half.

Although AmaZulu improved a lot in the second period after Masilela was taken off for Sibusiso Mabiliso and the side went to an attacking position with three points from Lehlohonolo Majoro, Bongi Ntuli and debutant Milos Lacny, it was a case of too little, too late.

Of all the sides in the relegation battle, Usuthu are possibly playing the worst football and are in very real danger of the drop.