Sundowns can win title without playing

By the time Mamelodi Sundowns run onto the pitch at 9pm on Saturday at Loftus Versfeld for their last Caf Champions League group game against Cameroon’s Coton Sport, they could well be celebrating a record-extending sixth successive PSL title.

Masandawana will be crowned champions if SuperSport United fail to beat Chippa United in their clash at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium that kicks off at 5.30pm.

The game in Gqeberha is important for both sides for different reasons. Matsatsantsa will be seeking to bounce back from their 1-0 defeat against Orlando Pirates two weeks ago in a setback to their hopes of securing second spot on the table and a place in next season’s Champions League.

The Chilli Boys on the other hand need the points to ensure they don’t get sucked into the relegation battle that has been their fate over the past few seasons. They are on 25 points, four ahead of 15th-placed Maritzburg United, but still need at least five points from their remaining seven games to get to the magical 30 that has usually been enough to ensure safety.

Should SuperSport end their sequence of five draws running against Chippa with a victory on Saturday, Sundowns will have the chance to win the title without outside help by beating Cape Town City at Loftus Versfeld on Tuesday, kickoff at 7.30pm.

Pirates, who face Richards Bay at the King Zwelithini Stadium at 3pm on Saturday, have the chance to sneak into second position, if only for a few hours, with a win against a side that has experienced an alarming drop in form in recent months.

After a promising start to their debut season in the top flight that saw them rise to second in the table in the first half of the season, the Rich Boys have slipped to sixth, and are in danger of dropping out of the top eight after this weekend’s action. They are on a seven-game winless run in the league that includes five defeats on the trot. The Buccaneers, by contrast, have won six of their last eight games with 1-0 defeats against Kaizer Chiefs and Sundowns.

Of the three teams chasing the runners-up spot, Amakhosi have probably the toughest assignment as they host an inform Stellenbosch side that has won six of their past seven league and cup games.

Striker Iqraam Rayners has been at the heart of the Stellies revival, rippling the net nine times in six games since his return to the Winelands from SuperSport United.

Arthur Zwane’s side have themselves picked up the pace over the past month, winning all of their last four league and cup games on the trot. It should be a closely fought encounter that kicks off at 5.30pm at the FNB Stadium on Saturday. Zwane will also have to make do without Yusuf Maart for the game with Samkelo Zwane likely to fill in his role for the clash.

AmaZulu have Keagan Buchanan suspended, but it appears he’s fallen out of favour under Romain Folz, who is keen to part with the midfielder.