Stellenbosch FC coach Gavin Hunt is hoping to keep his side’s Top 8 honours alive when they host the determined league title contenders Orlando Pirates at the Athlone Stadium on Tuesday at 7.30pm.
Tuesday’s encounter will take place amid particularly wet prevailing weather conditions in Cape Town, but Hunt hopes he can use the elements to his side’s benefit against the Soweto giants, who are involved in a cat-and-mouse chase with defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns at the top of the Betway Premiership.
Stakes are high
The match holds potential ramifications for both sides, with Pirates still in the hunt for the league title and Stellies chasing top eight qualification.
“We’ve had a bit of a break since our last game, about 10 days, and while we would have preferred to have played sooner, we are looking forward to the game. But we’re still fighting for the top eight, and we have a chance of achieving that. We have to try. We’ve got four games left, and we’ll probably have to win three of those,” Hunt said ahead of the match.
“We were very disappointed that we lost last week [against Polokwane City] because we shouldn’t have lost or have even drawn that game, so that was disappointing because we could’ve come into this match in a much better situation,” Hunt added.
Do-or-die clash for Bucs
According to the Bucs website, the fixture is, meanwhile, another do-or-die clash for them. Bucs have drifted five points behind the table-topping Sundowns with one game in hand. Victory on Tuesday night will narrow that gap considerably and help maintain their place in one of the closest title races in recent years.
Much like their hosts, the Buccaneers head to Athlone following a disappointing result in their last outing, having dropped points in a Soweto derby stalemate against rivals Kaizer Chiefs. That result was one of three draws in their ongoing unbeaten run in the league, which currently stands at nine matches.
They have collected 10 out of an available 12 points on the road during this period, taking their away tally to 27 in 12 matches this season. Following a slip-up in their most recent away fixture, a return to winning ways will be most crucial as the Buccaneers look to bolster their title ambitions.
With more than one fixture scheduled for the week, there could be a shuffling of the pack, with the likes of Patrick Maswanganyi and Evidence Makgopa possibly set for bigger roles after making cameos in recent weeks.
Head-to-head
The first league encounter between Pirates and Stellies only dates back to the 2019/20 season, but the two sides have already delivered many memorable encounters. The last of these was the reverse fixture at Orlando Amstel Arena, where Kamogelo Sebelebele’s early strike proved to be the difference as all three points went the way of the hosts on the night.
The win was the Soweto giants’ fourth in the fixture, bringing them level with the men from the Winelands, while five of the 13 league battles between the two sides have failed to produce a winner.
While there is nothing to separate between the two sides in terms of results, the Buccaneers lead things as far as goals are concerned. They have found the net 15 times in the fixture, with Stellies accounting for 11 of the 26 goals scored.
- Stellenbosch FC coach Gavin Hunt aims to keep their Top 8 qualification hopes alive as they host league leaders Orlando Pirates at Athlone Stadium amid wet weather conditions.
- Stellenbosch is under pressure to win at least three of their remaining four matches to secure a top-eight spot after a disappointing loss to Polokwane City.
- Orlando Pirates need a win to close the five-point gap to leaders Mamelodi Sundowns in a tight Betway Premiership title race, having drawn their last match against Kaizer Chiefs.
- Pirates are on a nine-match unbeaten league run, with strong away form, making Tuesday’s game a crucial opportunity to boost their title ambitions.
- Historically, the Pirates and Stellenbosch have shared balanced results since their rivalry began in 2019/20, with Pirates leading in total goals scored in 13 league meetings.
Stellenbosch FC coach Gavin Hunt is hoping to keep his side's Top 8 honours alive when they host the determined league title contenders
Tuesday's encounter will take place amid particularly wet prevailing weather conditions in Cape Town, but Hunt hopes he can use the elements to his side’s benefit against the Soweto giants, who are involved in a cat-and-mouse chase with defending champions Mamelodi
“We’ve had a bit of a break since our last game, about 10 days, and while we would have preferred to have played sooner, we are looking forward to the game. But we're still fighting for the top eight, and we have a chance of achieving that. We have to try. We’ve got four games left, and we’ll probably have to win three of those,” Hunt said ahead of the match.
"We were very disappointed that we lost last week [against Polokwane City] because we shouldn’t have lost or have even drawn that game, so that was disappointing because we could’ve come into this match in a much better situation," Hunt added.
Much like their hosts, the Buccaneers head to
While there is nothing to separate between the two sides in terms of results, the Buccaneers lead things as far as goals are concerned.
