The Absa Premiership returns tonight after a seven-week lay-off with four matches‚ including three involving title contenders BidVest Wits‚ Kaizer Chiefs and Cape Town City.
Tiso Blackstar Digital shines a light on the matches and picks out the key talking points. All matches kick-off at 7.30pm.
KAIZER CHIEFS V FREE STATE STARS
Steve Komphela comes up against the side he both played for and coached repeatedly with some success as Chiefs kick off 2017 with a home clash at FNB Stadium.
The Soweto side won back-to-back matches before the festive season break to reignite their title hopes‚ and had a quiet January transfer window with just the addition of Venezuelan forward Gustavo Paez.
Stars will play a first game under new coach Serame Letsoaka‚ who was sacked by provincial rivals Bloemfontein Celtic in October.
The club made a number of signings in the recent transfer window‚ including former SA Under-20 star Nhlakanipho Ntuli.
Stars have not won a league match at Chiefs since the 2000-01 season‚ though they did claim a Nedbank Cup victory in 2012 and won on penalties in the Telkom Knockout quarterfinals earlier this season following a 2-2 draw in Durban.
BIDVEST WITS V AJAX CAPE TOWN
These two sides went into the festive season with contrasting fortunes as Ajax took 15 points from the last 18‚ while Wits managed only six in that time.
Dutch coach Stanley Menzo has proved the catalyst for Ajax‚ bringing discipline and a little more belief and energy to the squad‚ which has been boosted by the January arrival of the Zambian duo of Rodrick Kabwe and Aubrey Funga.
Kabwe in particular is tipped to a real star in the future.
Wits will be thankful for the chance to regroup and have re-signed English forward James Keene to boost their at times wayward attack.
Midfielder Granwald Scott could also debut against his former employers having joined from Slovakian side Slovan Bratislava last month.
Ajax’s last league win at Wits was all the way back in 2009‚ though they did have success in the MTN8 semifinals in 2015. The Clever Boys won the reverse fixture 2-1 in Cape Town earlier in the season.
CAPE TOWN CITY V HIGHLANDS PARK
Cape Town City took just a single point from nine available after winning the Telkom Knockout in early December and coach Eric Tinkler will hope the hangover from that tournament is a thing of the past.
City are surprise league title challengers though could fall away quickly in the second half of the season if they cannot make a good start to 2017.
They host relegation-threatened Highlands Park at the Cape Town Stadium‚ with the promoted team managing just two wins from their first 15 games this season.
Park have the worst defence with 29 goals conceded‚ almost two per game‚ which has been a major area of focus for coach Gordon Igesund in the festive season break.
The teams played to a 1-1 draw when they met in Tembisa in September.
CHIPPA UNITED V BAROKA FC
Baroka FC were the busiest of the teams in the January transfer window with panic gripping the club after they entered the festive season in bottom place in the league.
As many as nine new arrivals have come in‚ while the club have also replaced coach Kgoloko Thobejane with Jacob Sakala.
It is a tough start away from home for the team against a Chippa side who have made the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium a fortress to make up for their poor away form.
A nugget of hope for Baroka is that both their league victories this season have come on the road – away at Platinum Stars and Cape Town City.
Chippa thumped Baroka 4-1 when the teams met in Polokwane in September for what remains their only away win of the season.
The PSL resumes with Chiefs‚ Wits and Cape Town City in action
Tiso Blackstar Digital shines a light on the matches and picks out the key talking points. All matches kick-off at 7.30pm.
KAIZER CHIEFS V FREE STATE STARS
Steve Komphela comes up against the side he both played for and coached repeatedly with some success as Chiefs kick off 2017 with a home clash at FNB Stadium.
The Soweto side won back-to-back matches before the festive season break to reignite their title hopes‚ and had a quiet January transfer window with just the addition of Venezuelan forward Gustavo Paez.
Stars will play a first game under new coach Serame Letsoaka‚ who was sacked by provincial rivals Bloemfontein Celtic in October.
The club made a number of signings in the recent transfer window‚ including former SA Under-20 star Nhlakanipho Ntuli.
Stars have not won a league match at Chiefs since the 2000-01 season‚ though they did claim a Nedbank Cup victory in 2012 and won on penalties in the Telkom Knockout quarterfinals earlier this season following a 2-2 draw in Durban.
BIDVEST WITS V AJAX CAPE TOWN
These two sides went into the festive season with contrasting fortunes as Ajax took 15 points from the last 18‚ while Wits managed only six in that time.
Dutch coach Stanley Menzo has proved the catalyst for Ajax‚ bringing discipline and a little more belief and energy to the squad‚ which has been boosted by the January arrival of the Zambian duo of Rodrick Kabwe and Aubrey Funga.
Kabwe in particular is tipped to a real star in the future.
Wits will be thankful for the chance to regroup and have re-signed English forward James Keene to boost their at times wayward attack.
Midfielder Granwald Scott could also debut against his former employers having joined from Slovakian side Slovan Bratislava last month.
Ajax’s last league win at Wits was all the way back in 2009‚ though they did have success in the MTN8 semifinals in 2015. The Clever Boys won the reverse fixture 2-1 in Cape Town earlier in the season.
CAPE TOWN CITY V HIGHLANDS PARK
Cape Town City took just a single point from nine available after winning the Telkom Knockout in early December and coach Eric Tinkler will hope the hangover from that tournament is a thing of the past.
City are surprise league title challengers though could fall away quickly in the second half of the season if they cannot make a good start to 2017.
They host relegation-threatened Highlands Park at the Cape Town Stadium‚ with the promoted team managing just two wins from their first 15 games this season.
Park have the worst defence with 29 goals conceded‚ almost two per game‚ which has been a major area of focus for coach Gordon Igesund in the festive season break.
The teams played to a 1-1 draw when they met in Tembisa in September.
CHIPPA UNITED V BAROKA FC
Baroka FC were the busiest of the teams in the January transfer window with panic gripping the club after they entered the festive season in bottom place in the league.
As many as nine new arrivals have come in‚ while the club have also replaced coach Kgoloko Thobejane with Jacob Sakala.
It is a tough start away from home for the team against a Chippa side who have made the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium a fortress to make up for their poor away form.
A nugget of hope for Baroka is that both their league victories this season have come on the road – away at Platinum Stars and Cape Town City.
Chippa thumped Baroka 4-1 when the teams met in Polokwane in September for what remains their only away win of the season.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending Now
Latest Videos