Action in the Motsepe Foundation Championship league has resumed after a week-long break to allow for Fifa calendar activities.
With six matches having taken place across the country yesterday, the focus this afternoon is on two more games involving Highbury FC v Baroka and The Bees, who have a date with Midlands Wanderers.
Highbury welcome Baroka at the Glenvadale Stadium, in Gqeberha, with the hope of avenging their two defeats by the Limpopo side last season.
Last season, Baroka – coached by Dan “Dance” Malesela – who are second on the log on three points after two matches – collected six points against Highbury after a 3–1 win at home in Lebowakgomo in the first round in April, before a 1 – 0 victory on the road in November last year.
Highbury goes into the match dejected, lying in 12th position with a single point from a draw in their opening match and a loss in their second match.
Victory at home today will be a sweet revenge, while at the same time help them improve their log standing.
In Nelspruit, The Bees will be looking forward to cementing their top brackets on the log when they welcome Midlands Wanderers at the KaNyamazane Stadium in another match.
Both The Bees and Wanderers are new in the National First Division after earning their promotions via the ABC -Motsepe League’s national play-offs, which were hosted at the Giant Stadium, in Soshanguve, and Lucas Moripe in Atteridgeville, in Tshwane.
Playing at home, The Bees, who are currently in fifth position, sit in the standings with three points from a 2-1 win over Baroka, and a 2-1 loss to Lerumo Lions, are likely to overcome the wandering boys from KwaZulu-Natal, who are 10th, also with three points from a similar record.
Wanderers, on the other hand, have a mixed bag too, a 1-0 victory over Hungry Lions in the opening match, before they could suffer a heavy 3-0 loss away to Baroka a week ago.
Although odds skew heavily toward The Bees secu-ring another home win, some extreme projections favouring blow-outs, form and recent results suggest a much tighter match-up.