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DStv Premiership report card

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Langelihle Ndlovu of Polokwane City challenged by Ranga Chivaviro of Kaizer Chiefs during the DStv Premiership 2023/24 match between Polokwane City and Kaizer Chiefs at Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane on 09 December 2023 ©Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix

We have now entered the long six-week DStv Premiership break for the African Cup of Nations, which presents the perfect time to assess the campaign to date for the 16 topflight clubs.

AMAZULU
Rating: 6/10
Usuthu’s stated aim is to be a top four club and while they currently sit in seventh and within striking distance, it has been a mixed bag for them this campaign. Five wins from 16 games is not good enough, but they have lost only four times. Only Mamelodi Sundowns (0) have lost fewer games. Their issue has been too many draws.

CAPE TOWN CITY
Rating: 8/10
Entering the break in second place with the second highest number of wins (9) is a fine achievement for a side who has only played six of their 16 games at their Cape Town fortress. That suggests even more points in the second half of the campaign. City continue to sell their best talent, but coach Eric Tinkler finds a way to keep them near the top of the table.

CAPE TOWN SPURS
Rating: 1/10
It couldn’t really have gone much worse than losing 14 of their 16 games (W1 D1). They got a shock win at home to Orlando Pirates and a draw away at AmaZulu, but that is it. They need a miracle to stay up this year, or to hope the PSL deals with Moroka Swallows so harshly following their two forfeited games that it brings them back into contention.

CHIPPA UNITED
Rating: 3/10
Only Cape Town Spurs (11) have scored fewer than Chippa’s 12 goals this season as they sit five points above the relegation play-off position. Administrator turned coach Morgan Mammila has in many ways done well to last in the post to this point given the side’s indifferent form, but only four wins from 16 games does not bode well.

KAIZER CHIEFS
Rating: 7/10
Chiefs’ season has been saved by the fact they have taken 10 points from the last 12 available under interim coach Cavin Johnson. That leaves them in sixth place and five points off the Champions League qualification spot. They have been defensively sound, but lack bite up front, which is where they need to improve in the second half of the campaign. But there are encouraging signs for the AmaKhosi.

LAMONTVILLE GOLDEN ARROWS
Rating: 4/10
Golden Arrows started the season superbly, but a joint club record seven defeats in a row in all competitions has seen them tumbling down the table. They will likely get the points from their forfeited game against Swallows, but their next fixture is against Sundowns. Coach Mabhuti Khenyeza seems unable to stop the rot.

MAMELODI SUNDOWNS
Rating: 9/10
Close to a perfect ‘10’ for Sundowns, but successive goalless draws with Cape Town City and Polokwane City have hurt their rating a little. They remain unbeaten in the DStv Premiership since September 2022 and are on course for an Invincibles season. They will also likely get the points from their forfeited game against Swallows, so that would be 12 wins in 14 matches to go with those two draws. Near perfect.

MOROKA SWALLOWS
Rating: 2/10
There have been some decent signs under coach Steve Komphela this season, but the forfeited matches speaks to a wider issue at the club. They perhaps now have time to solve them but could face a harsh penalty from the PSL – potentially even being kicked out of the DStv Premiership. Dark times for one of the break brands of South African football.

ORLANDO PIRATES
Rating: 5/10
Having finished second last season and had such a dominant second half of the campaign, the expectation might have been that Pirates could even challenge Sundowns for top honours. But they are some way off that. They have won only seven of their 16 games and went into the break with back-to-back losses. Coach Jose Riveiro has perhaps been saved by his back-to-back MTN8 wins to go with the Nedbank Cup last season.

POLOKWANE CITY
Rating: 7/10
City may well be in ninth in the table but will be pretty satisfied with their 21 points from 16 games, meaning they likely need only another nine or so to stay up in their first campaign back in the big time. That will have been the pre-season aim. So far they are maybe a little ahead of where they expected to be.

RICHARDS BAY
Rating: 2/10
Thirteen points from 16 games is not good enough and relegation form in most seasons. It would have been worse but for a shock 3-1 win against SuperSport United going into the break. They have sacked coach Kaitano Tembo and have Vusi Vilakazi in temporary charge. Let’s see what he can do.

ROYAL AM
Rating: 4/10
Hindered by a self-inflicted transfer ban from FIFA and various other reported issues at the club, it is a wonder Royal AM have managed to get to 18 points. They have the second worst defence in the league though (behind Spurs) and are not all that hot on attack, so it could be a long second half of the season.

SEKHUKHUNE UNITED
Rating: 4/10
Sekhukhune showed excellent progress last season, earning a top eight place and reaching the final of the Nedbank Cup. But it has been a few steps back this season and five wins from 15 games shows they have yet to fire. They are a decent squad who looks to be underachieving, though they have also had the distraction of the Confederation Cup.

STELLENBOSCH FC
Rating: 8/10
The Carling Knockout win aside, Stellenbosch have also had a superb run in the league that has taken them up to fourth in the table and within striking distance of second place. They have not lost a game since September when they went down to Sundowns, with nine wins from their last 11 games (D2). Such a credit to the work done by coach Steve Barker.

SUPERSPORT UNITED
Rating: 7/10
At times superb, they have then let themselves down with some poor performances and three defeats in their last five games before the break is not a good look. But nine wins from 16 is pretty handy and they are the second highest scorers in the league with 22 goals. The flip side is they have the fifth worst defence with 19 goals conceded.

TS GALAXY
Rating: 7/10
It might be slow going, but Galaxy continue to make progress as a club, reaching the Carling Knockout final and going into the break in the top half of the table. They won three of their four league games before the halt to proceedings and will want to cement that top half finish in the second half of the season. From where they have been in recent years, this is a good season so far.