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Despite the late start and break in January 2017, the Premier Soccer League’s 2016/17 season promises the usual fireworks that local soccer supporters have become accustomed to.
The league programme will start on August 23, due to the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The Olympic Games will end on Sunday, August 21, and the league begins two days later with four fixtures, followed by two more the next day.
Sundowns will not be involved in the league on that day as they will be on CAF Champions League duty, where they have reached the semifinals.
Three days later, the MTN8 kicks off with newcomers Cape Town City hosting Kaizer Chiefs at the Cape Town Stadium.
Sundowns will rejoin the action on Sunday, August 28, when they lock horns with neighbours SuperSport United at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium.
The Nedbank Cup final will bring the curtain down on the season on June 3 2017.
There is a lot of expectation going into the season seeing that the two Soweto giants – Chiefs and Pirates – finished the previous season with nothing to show for it.
This will put coaches Steve Komphela and the newly appointed Muhsin Ertugral under severe pressure to deliver.
The job of coaching any of the two clubs is assiduous by nature and the current scenario makes it even worse.
But if what was on display during the Carling Black Label Cup last Saturday is anything to go by, we are in for a treat.
The Buccaneers and Amakhosi dished out some top-class football and it was also a relief to see the derby ending in normal time.
The past season was dominated by Sundowns who overshadowed everybody.
Not only did they win the league, they outplayed, outfoxed and outthought almost all the PSL sides.
Sundowns did it in style – confirming the Bafana Ba Style moniker – and in the process bringing a deserved smile to mining magnate and club boss Patrice Motsepe.
He has poured a lot of money into turning the Tshwane side into a mean machine and it was high time he started reaping the rewards.
Mamelodi Sundowns continue to do well in the Champions League and have already guaranteed a R10 million cheque for Motsepe, which is small change to him, but is nothing to turn his nose up at.
Another club owner who is due some payback is Bidvest Wits boss Brian Joffe.
He has been patient but it is high time Gavin Hunt delivered the goods.
Wits have been playing second fiddle for far too long now.
Stuart Baxter will have added pressure after surpassing his mandate of turning things around in a season that was going pear-shaped under Gordon Igesund.
The Briton did not only pull Matsatsantsa a Pitori from the league quagmire they found themselves in, but even lifted the Nedbank Cup, spoiling Pirates’ last chance of silverware with a 3-2 victory.
Roger De Sá, Clinton Larsen, Serame Letsoaka and Cavin Johnson will also have to do their best to remove the “also rans” tag.
All in all, a jolly good season beckons.
