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Muhsin Ertugral will get a first taste of the Soweto derby from the opposite side when the big match returns to its spiritual home, Orlando Stadium, on October 29, according to the preliminary list of fixtures, which City Press has seen.
It’s been a while since the game was played here; however, the second derby, scheduled for March 4, will revert to the FNB Stadium.
Also, the regular feature that sees Pirates open and close their league programme with usual opponents, Golden Arrows, is contained in the list.
The Buccaneers will host Abafana Besthende on August 24 with the reverse match scheduled for May 27 at the Princess Magogo Stadium.
The schedules were sent to the clubs for verification and to “book your approved home venues and ensure they are in good and peak condition”, and were to be returned to the league by last Monday.
The new season will only kick off on August 23 with four fixtures as a result of the national Under-23 team’s participation in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.
There is only one round of league matches in August before the clubs break for the MTN8 and international contests.
The MTN8 and Telkom Knockout finals are scheduled for October 1 and December 10, respectively.
Last season’s Absa Premiership runners-up, Bidvest Wits will take on, Kaizer Chiefs in a mouth-watering clash on the opening day of the 2016/17 Premier League season, while newly promoted Baroka will begin their life in the top flight with a home game against Ajax Cape Town.
Interestingly, Highlands Park will kick-start their campaign against fellow newcomers Baroka at Makhulong Stadium in Tembisa on September 13.
Highlands were to start their season with a clash against defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns, but their game had to be rescheduled because of the Brazilians’ involvement in the CAF Champions League.
Now Pitso Mosimane’s side will only begin their defence on September 14 with a trip to Maritzburg United.
Wits face possibly the toughest start of the campaign with Gavin Hunt’s charges set to face Chiefs before back-to-back trips to Polokwane City and Baroka, and then they’ll host Orlando Pirates in their opening four encounters.
They will complete their September fixtures with another away trip to Ajax Cape Town.
Free State will have had the honour of hosting the first derby of the season when Free State Stars hosts Bloemfontein Celtic early in September.
But that looks unlikely to happen with the potential sale of Stars to Gauteng.
The deal currently hangs in the balance.
Cape Town is poised to host the maiden local rivalry between newly acquired Cape Town City and Ajax Cape Town on September 25.
This is expected to be an epic clash, not only as friends Roger De Sá and Eric Tinkler become foes for 90 minutes, but because the two clubs’ chairs, John Comitis and Ari Efstathiou, do not see eye to eye.
Limpopo will also host its first derby between archrival s Baroka and Polokwane City on October 30.
The last derby of the first round between Tshwane rivals SuperSport United and Mamelodi Sundowns will be in December.
The league will take a six-week break during the CAF Africa Cup of Nations in January, which takes place in Gabon.
The final round of league fixtures is scheduled for May 27 with the reverse fixtures of the opening round closing the season.
The Nedbank Cup on June 3 will be the last action of the season.
