Heart Stopping End To PSL Season

Heart Stopping End To PSL Season

The Absa Premiership Trophy

Samukele Manzini

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aturday, 21 May 2011, will mark the close of the 2010/2011 Absa premiership season. Ajax Cape Town and Orlando Pirates are the two front-runners, favourites to clinch the Absa premiership title while Kaizer Chiefs have an outside chance of winning the title. Week 30 of the Absa premiership season, Three KwaZulu Natal teams (Maritzburg United, Golden Arrows and Amazulu ) hold the key to who might be crowned the 2010/2011 Absa premiership champions on Saturday. Ajax is on 59 points, Pirates on 57 points and Chiefs on 56 points, so the equation is simple, Ajax has to collect 3 points and they will be champions, Pirates must win (with any score) and hope Ajax draw or loses and they will be champions and for Kaizer Chiefs, it will depends on whether Ajax and Bucs drop points and they win against Amazulu and they would be champions. Of the three title contenders, only Chiefs is playing away from home, this will be the test of their character.

Ajax Cape Town welcomes Maritzburg United to the Athlone stadium in Cape Town, knowing very well that only a victory over United will guarantee them their maiden league title. Golden Arrows travel to Orlando stadium to face an Orlando Pirates side that is desperate to win their third league title since the inception of the Premier Soccer League (PSL) and to end a six year league drought.

The Urban Warriors lead Pirates with two points and are playing at home, where they have only lost once this season to Mamelodi Sundowns. The Cape side has been a tough and aggressive team to crack at home this season. Star player Thulani Serero has been a marvel to watch and definitely a candidate for Players’ player of the season award. Currently with 10 goals under his belt, the Soweto born midfielder might be on his way to the Netherlands (at the end of the season) where he was on a two week trial period and impressed mother club, Ajax Amsterdam’s technical team. There is no doubt that Serero played a huge role in Ajax’s good season and if they win the league, undoubtedly, he would have single handedly gave Ajax the title.

Orlando Pirates has had one of the best seasons of their history. The Sea Robbers have reached three cup finals and won one (MTN8) and are still in the running for the league title and the Nedbank cup that will be played on the 28^th May in Nelspruit. Ruud Krol has spent three seasons at Pirates and he is the first coach in the history of Pirates to stay that long at the club. Pirates have played more games this season than any other club in the PSL. A treble is on the cards but only Black Leopards and Ajax stand in the way of the Buccaneers, of making history by becoming the first team to win a treble in South Africa football. Krol now knows Pirates like the back of his hand and should be able to motivate his boys enough to get the best from them.

Meanwhile, cross town rivals, Kaizer Chiefs have an outside chance of clinching the title should both Bucs and Ajax drop points and they collect maximum points against Amazulu. Jimmy Tau has shown this season that age is just a number and performed beyond expectations. World cup hero, Sphiwe Tshabalala has also shown maturity and scored some vital goals this season for his team. Both players will want to end the season with a league title medal but only the football gods and a miracle will give Amakhosi the title.

The youth of Ajax has shown that not only experience can win you the league but consistency and determination also plays a role. Orlando Pirates management (at least for the first time, they were patience with a coach) learnt from their past mistakes and stuck with their coach, in bad times and that has paid dividends. Krol has ended the club’s eight year cup drought and has built a very competitive team that is fighting to the end for the league title. Bucs are some distance the team of the 2010/11 season after reaching three finals and challenging for the League. Pirates, for their continuity, have helped sail the team’s ship to success. Like Ajax, Pirates have been consistence this season. Krol has been in charge of 89 League matches since he came on board, and he has 41 wins, drew 33 and lost only 15 times, while his next win could bring home the coveted League title depending on Ajax’s result. Kaizer Chiefs besides the Telkom Knockout success they were inconsistence for the better part of the season and depend on the soccer gods for the title to come to Naturena.