Another eagerly-awaited match graces Orlando Stadium this weekend, with Orlando Pirates kicking off their Betway Premiership campaign with a clash against Sekhukhune United on Saturday evening.
It’s the first of 30 games in a marathon race for league supremacy among the 16 elite teams in South Africa, with the coveted Premiership title up for grabs at the end of the season.
Under new mentorship, the Buccaneers resume their pursuit of what has been one of their more elusive titles in recent years. Their opponents meanwhile look to build on the momentum from recent campaigns, having established themselves as a growing force on the domestic scene.
Both teams enjoyed cup success over the past weekend, and the focus this time around will be on securing maximum points to kick off the season.
Fresh off finishing in fourth place and equalling their best-ever finish since gaining promotion to the top flight, Sekhukhune United are looking to continue on their upward trajectory. They have become a permanent fixture in the top half of the league table in the past three seasons and are set for another appearance in CAF interclub competition. They will be eager to enhance their chances of making the cut once more through a good result in one of the toughest trips they will undertake in the upcoming season.
Babina Noko have a mixed record in opening league fixtures, winning just once in four attempts. They have emerged on the losing side twice, with one game finishing level. That stalemate came in their only previous away fixture on Match Day 1, when they played to a 1-1 scoreline against Maritzburg United at Harry Gwala Stadium at the start of the 2022/23 campaign.
They will be confident of an early-season upset, having dusted off the cobwebs with a fighting 3-2 victory in the MTN8 against TS Galaxy last Saturday. That fixture showcased some of the new arrivals in the camp, with the likes of two-goal hero Bradley Grobler and ex-Bucs midfielder Miguel Timm making an immediate impact on debut.
The additions to the squad include two veteran goalkeepers in Zambian international Toaster Nsabata – back at the club after a short stint at ZESCO United – and former Polokwane City shot-stopper Manuel Sapunga. There is more Premiership experience in the new faces brought in to bolster the attack with attacking midfielder Ronaldo Maarman joining from Chippa United while striker Wonderboy Makhubu made the move from Limpopo rivals Magesi.