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Benni McCarthy holds all the aces in the race for the Absa Premiership title.
With 10 games to go, the 40-year-old Cape Town City coach can dent – in particular – Mamelodi Sundowns’ title aspirations as they have two fixtures outstanding against the defending champions.
Besides having a say in the title race, City could also drag themselves into the mix if they win their matches.
In fact, all top four clubs, including Orlando Pirates, will face one another in the closing fixtures of the campaign.
There are lots of possible banana skins along the way and the chasing pack could face slippery ones in the form of clubs with nothing to lose. Bloemfontein Celtic and SuperSport United are among such spoilers lurking in the shadows.
The two have separate looming dates with the top four. But beware of relegation candidates who will do anything to ensure survival.
Wits vs Sundowns
Wits’ stay at the top will come under pressure in the next few weeks. First, the Clever Boys could lose their pole position if second-placed Sundowns beat Polokwane City on Wednesday.
If not by Wednesday, the two could still swap their positions when they meet in Johannesburg on Saturday evening.
Sundowns vs Cape Town City
City could get a chance to close the gap at the top, while also getting themselves into title contention should they get maximum points off Sundowns at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on February 27.
This will also pile pressure on Pirates, who resume their programme against SuperSport United on Wednesday.
Cape Town City vs Sundowns
City’s reverse fixture with Sundowns will certainly be rescheduled.
This as the Brazilians have a CAF Champions League assignment against Lobi Stars of Nigeria on March 9, which was initially confirmed for the league clash with City.
There will be more to play for in Cape Town after City eliminated Sundowns from the MTN8, even though their two-legged clash was settled on penalties after each side triumphed 1-0 at home.
Orlando Pirates vs Sundowns
That Bucs would have played Wits prior to their meeting with Sundowns in Soweto in April will depend on how much the title chasers would have cancelled each other out.
Also at this point, Bucs and the Brazilians will have some steam being taken out by their participation in the Champions League group stage, which ends on March 16. The two teams will further feel the effect of losing some of their key players for Bafana Bafana’s Afcon qualifier against Libya late next month.
Wits vs Pirates
Pirates will be under pressure to win the April 6 fixture at Wits as Milutin Sredojevic and his men will face Sundowns on Freedom Day.
SuperSport and Celtic would have one way or the other also played as catalysts as this is the period in which the two will cross paths with the current top four.
