As the halfway mark of the Betway Premiership approaches, the clubs from KwaZulu-Natal — Golden Arrows, Richards Bay, AmaZulu, and Royal AM — find themselves in a precarious position, battling to secure vital points before the turn of the year.
With a challenging weekend of fixtures ahead, these teams are keen to shift their fortunes from a less than favourable start to the season.
At present, Thwihli Thwahla, Usuthu, and The Natal Rich Boyz constitute three of the bottom four teams on the league table, raising concerns for their supporters and management alike.
With nearly half the season under their belts, the urgency to clinch three points has never been more pressing for these clubs, who are desperate to end what has been a year characterised by more lows than highs.
The upcoming fixtures provide a crucial opportunity for these clubs to not only salvage their standings but also restore faith among their fan bases.
Despite their current predicament, spirits within the teams remain resolute. With each match viewed as a potential turning point, the players and coaching staff are adamant that they can navigate through the challenges and find some relief in the congested league schedule.
On Saturday, Richards Bay take the ultimate acid test with defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns visiting the King Zwelithini Stadium at 3.30pm. The Brazilians are fresh off disposing of AmaZulu in midweek despite having received a red card in the 55th minute.
Sundowns new head coach Miguel Cardoso holds a perfect start to his tenure so far having won three out of his three matches, a record the hosts will look to break. With interim coaches Ronnie Gabriel and Siboniso Gumede still at the wheel, the Natal Rich Boyz have an opportunity to shock the league and affect matters at the top of the table.
Although their interests will be heavily invested in moving out of the relegation zone (15th), Richards Bay will take a free hit at Sundowns and attempt to make it back to back wins.
Kicking off at the same time will be Golden Arrows and Polokwane City at the Mpumalanga Stadium with an intense top eight battle looming.
Rise and Shine are in third place are seven points above Abafana Besthende in seventh having played two games more and a positive result for the hosts could see that gap cut to just four.
The Arrows resolve will be tested once more as they try to juggle the absence of head coach Mabhuti Khenyeza alongside getting results in the Betway Premiership.
On Sunday, Royal AM will travel to the Mbombela Stadium to face an upbeat TS Galaxy at 3.30pm.
Thwihli Thwahla head coach John Maduka has had more than two weeks off action to refresh his squad and will hope his young group will approach this encounter with the necessary enthusiasm.
At the DHL Stadium, AmaZulu will look to bounce back from disappointing defeat in their last outing and continue their climb up the standings. The Durban-based club have been revived under the fresh-faced technical team and will be eager to grab points to reflect their uplift with results.
Although they’re battling a well-rested City, The Durban based club have the advantage of momentum and continuity, which could play a big role on the day.