When will Chiefs, Pirates next be in league action?

The DStv Premiership has been on a mid-season break as the FIFA World Cup has been playing out in Qatar, but local league action will soon get back under way. As it stands, Sundowns, Richards Bay, SuperSport United, Chiefs and Pirates occupy the top five spots on the league log.

Teams have already begun to return to training as preparation begins for an incredibly busy set of fixtures heading into the new year.

ALSO READ: GALLANTS ATTACKER LAUGHS OFF CHIEFS LINKS

Notably, Pirates will return to action with a blockbuster battle against Sundowns on 30 December (kick-off at 15:30), while Chiefs will take on eighth-placed Golden Arrows on Saturday, 31 December (kick-off at 15:30).

Here are the fixture you can look forward to at the end of December:

UPDATE: WHEN WILL MASON GREENWOOD FACE TRIAL?

Here’s a reminder where the likes of Chiefs, Pirates and Sundowns sit in the top half of the log:

Although Sundowns remains odds-on favourites to retain their league title, it has been interesting to hear the thoughts of former Kaizer Chiefs legend Marks Maponyane, who believes Amakhosi could compete for trophies this season.

“All of them, the players [need to develop strong work ethics],” Maponyane said. “If the Chiefs players give the commitment they showed against Pirates in every game, they can win a trophy or finish in a decent position in the league this season.

“They can win the Nedbank if they continue in the same vein. You do not have to have a game plan to win games, you have got to have a way of doing things and that way is the winning way. If they keep that attitude and commitment [when they beat Pirates in the league game], fighting for every ball and winning it, then that can change their fortunes.

“But then, it goes back to reality, and the reality is that you cannot get the same performance and consistency in any of the teams in the league this season.”

ALSO READ: GALLANTS ATTACKER LAUGHS OFF CHIEFS LINKS