Polokwane City will be desperate to stop the bleeding when they welcome high-flying Kaizer Chiefs to the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Rise and Shine, who appeared to have made a promising start to the new Betway Premiership campaign, have seen their momentum slow down after dropping valuable points and will now face one of the toughest assignments of the weekend.
The two sides meet at 3pm in what promises to be a highly competitive encounter, with Polokwane City looking to use home advantage to revive their campaign while Chiefs arrive in Limpopo with their eyes firmly fixed on the top of the table. The fixture is confirmed by both the PSL and Kaizer Chiefs.
Polokwane City currently occupy 10th position with six points from their opening five matches, having recorded one victory, three draws and one defeat.
The Limpopo outfit will feel that their points tally could have been considerably better had they converted some of their opportunities into victories.
Their latest league outing ended in a 2-2 draw against Marumo Gallants, meaning another two points slipped through their fingers.
The draw was particularly interesting because Gallants were coached by former Polokwane mentor Phuti Mohafe, who left Rise and Shine at the end of last season to take charge of the Bloemfontein-based club.
Mohafe’s move, however, turned sour remarkably quickly. Gallants terminated his contract on Wednesday after a difficult opening to the campaign.
At Polokwane, meanwhile, Bayano Moloto has taken over the reins and has set ambitious targets for the club.
Moloto replaced Mohafe and has spoken about his desire to take Rise and Shine into the top four, challenge for silverware and potentially qualify for the CAF Confederation Cup.
But the new coach knows that Saturday’s encounter represents a major examination of his side’s credentials.
Chiefs chasing the leaders
Kaizer Chiefs will arrive in Polokwane in considerably better spirits after returning to winning ways with a 3-2 victory over Siwelele last Sunday.
The result kept the Glamour Boys firmly involved in the early title race.
Chiefs have 11 points and sit third, behind Orlando Pirates on 13 and leaders Mamelodi Sundowns on 19.
A victory in Polokwane would take Amakhosi to 14 points and move them above their Soweto rivals into second place, at least temporarily.
Fernando Da Cruz’s charges will therefore have more than three points at stake.
They are chasing a position at the summit and cannot afford another slip-up if they want to keep pace with Sundowns, who have established an early eight-point advantage over Chiefs.
Chiefs also go into the match with confidence after their 3-2 victory over Siwelele, a game in which they registered 16 shots and six efforts on target.
Young attackers such as Wandile Duba, Mduduzi Shabalala and Mfundo Vilakazi have provided attacking energy, while experienced players are expected to provide the composure required in a difficult away fixture.
Polokwane’s home advantage
For Moloto, however, the equation is simple: make Old Peter Mokaba Stadium count.
Polokwane City cannot afford another draw if they want to climb the table and remain within touching distance of the top half.
The three points would take Rise and Shine to nine and potentially push them significantly higher depending on other results.
The home side will also be aware that Chiefs have become one of the early pace-setters and will arrive under pressure to win.
That could create spaces for Polokwane to exploit, particularly if the visitors commit numbers forward in search of an early goal.
Rise and Shine will need to be disciplined defensively while making better use of their opportunities in the final third.
The biggest question is whether Moloto can find the formula to turn Polokwane’s draws into victories.
A battle of contrasting ambitions
Saturday’s encounter is therefore a battle between two teams with very different immediate objectives.
Polokwane are trying to recover lost ground and climb from the middle of the table.
Chiefs, meanwhile, are looking upwards.
The Glamour Boys know that every dropped point could make the gap behind Sundowns increasingly difficult to close, while Polokwane understand that another home defeat or draw could see them lose further ground.
The atmosphere at Old Peter Mokaba should consequently be electric.
For Rise and Shine, it is about stopping the bleeding.
For Chiefs, it is about keeping the pressure on Pirates and Sundowns.
And for both sides, three points could prove extremely valuable as the early Betway Premiership title and top-four race begins to take shape.
Weekend Betway Premiership fixtures
The weekend’s action gets underway on Friday night before three matches take place on Saturday and three more on Sunday.
Friday, September 11
Stellenbosch FC vs Sekhukhune United
19:30 — Athlone Stadium, Cape Town
Stellenbosch will host Sekhukhune United in the opening fixture of the weekend. Both teams will be looking for valuable points as they attempt to establish themselves among the early contenders.
Saturday, September 12
AmaZulu FC vs Marumo Gallants
15:00 — Princess Magogo Stadium, Durban
Gallants will be under the microscope following the dismissal of Mohafe. The club will be looking to respond positively despite the recent turmoil surrounding the coaching position.
Polokwane City vs Kaizer Chiefs
15:00 — Old Peter Mokaba Stadium, Polokwane
The headline fixture for Limpopo football fans, with Polokwane looking to revive their campaign and Chiefs chasing second place.
Chippa United vs Mamelodi Sundowns
17:30 — Buffalo City Stadium
The champions and current log leaders face another test away from home. Sundowns enter the weekend with a six-point advantage over Chiefs and will be determined to maintain their commanding position.
Sunday, September 13
Milford FC vs Richards Bay
15:00 — Sugar Ray Xulu Stadium, Clermont
Newly promoted Milford will be looking to make home advantage count against Richards Bay in another important battle at the lower end of the table.
Siwelele vs Golden Arrows
15:00 — Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein
Siwelele will be looking for a response after their 3-2 defeat to Chiefs, but face a Golden Arrows side capable of causing problems.
TS Galaxy vs Kruger United
17:30 — Solomon Mahlangu Stadium, KwaMhlanga
The weekend concludes with Galaxy hosting struggling Kruger United. Kruger are still searching for their first victory and desperately need points to avoid becoming detached at the bottom.
The weekend’s big question
Can Polokwane City stop dropping points and produce a statement victory against one of the country’s biggest clubs?
Or will Chiefs leave Limpopo with three points and leapfrog Pirates into second place?
Old Peter Mokaba will have the answer on Saturday afternoon.