Eight DSTV matches to be played on Saturday afternoon

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All 16 DSTV premiership teams will be in action on Saturday afternoon, the penultimate Saturday of the 2023-24 league season. While some will be battling to avoid relegation, others want to finish as high as possible and qualify for the MTN8 competition.

Kaizer Chiefs are in eighth place on the log at the moment and can’t afford a slip-up against ninth-place Polokwane City at the FNB Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Orlando Pirates and Stellenbosch FC’s battle for a CAF Champions League spot will intensify. Pirates will play TS Galaxy in Polokwane, while Stellies will host Mamelodi Sundowns in a top-of-the-table clash at the Athlone stadium in Cape Town.

Chiefs have only won two of their 12 league matches since the Africa Cup of Nations break in February. A string of poor results is the reason the team is battling to finish in the top eight, which is embarrassing for a club of its stature. Anything less than victory on Saturday against Polokwane City might see the Amakhosi pushed out of the top eight, ahead of next weekend’s final round of league matches.

All coach Cavin Johnson can hope for is that his players will convert the scoring opportunities they create on Saturday.

“We putting in the effort, we not scoring the goals, we have to be a lot more calmer in front of the goals and let’s enjoy it. But is saying that we have to score the scoring chances that we get.”

Johnson has blamed poor decision making in front of goals for the poor results and expects his charges to improve that aspect of their game against City.

Amazulu have had a relatively good season and have accumulated 33 points with two rounds of matches still to play. It is the number of points they finished with last season and they would want to surpass it.

Victory over Sekhukhune United at the Peter Mokaba Stadium on Saturday afternoon might also take them as high as eighth on the standings. Coach Pablo Franco says they are still in with chance to finish in the top eight.

“We already achieved the same points as last season, reaching the first objective which is to remain in the PSL. We are still alive in the fight for the top eight which I think is something realistic for us this season.”

In other DSTV Premiership matches, Cape Town City will host Richards Bay at the Cape Towns Stadium, while Moroka Swallows will play Supersport United in Atteridgeville.

All of eight DSTV premiership matches will kick off at three PM.