Arrows, Ajax Look To The Quarters

March 11, 2010

South Africa’s domestic top flight league has already been completed, allowing the national side to take locally-based players on two crucial training camps that will prepare them for the 2010 World Cup.

In the meantime, South African premier league clubs will play two cup competitions back-to-back, starting with the Telkom Knockout (the equivalent of England’s League Cup).

Half of the first round fixtures will be played this weekend, with the most eye-catching tie Orlando Pirates hosting Bloemfontein Celtic on Saturday evening. The sides played to a 1-1 draw just last week in the final round of league fixtures and they finished fifth and sixth respectively on the log, suggesting that it should be a tight game between two evenly-matched teams.

The Buccaneers, however, will be without six key players who have travelled to Brazil for the Bafana Bafana training camp and their squad will be stretched to the limit as a result. Celtic themselves have lost two important players to the camp.

The competition kicks off earlier in the day with Golden Arrows hosting Platinum Stars. Abafana Bes’thende claimed the MTN8 earlier this season and will be hungry for more success, though Stars, like Arrows, had a poor league campaign and will be looking for redemption in this cup competition.

Sunday’s action sees Ajax Cape Town and Moroka Swallows meet at the Newlands Stadium in the Mother City. The Urban Warriors are the defending champions of the Telkom Knockout but they could find the going tough against the Birds as their small squad has been stretched by a combination of players away with the national team and injuries, particularly in the backline.

The other cup tie on Sunday afternoon sees MP Black Aces host league champions SuperSport United. Aces would be forgiven for being slightly distracted by the prospect of their upcoming relegation/promotion playoff semifinal against Nathi Lions, making life even tougher against a SuperSport team that beat them by an aggregate of 8-0 over their two league games.

Telkom Knockout first round fixtures:

Saturday, March 13

Golden Arrows v Platinum Stars
Orlando Pirates v Bloemfontein Celtic

Sunday, March 14

Ajax Cape Town v Moroka Swallows
MP Black Aces v SuperSport United