Pirates coach Jose Riveiro hopes to end his coaching career at the Bucs on a high with a premiership trophy and possibly the Nedbank Cup as well. Photo: Sipho Siso

Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso wants to bag the premiership trophy in his first season at Downs and possibly earn them a second Caf Champions League star. Photo: Sipho Siso

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The race is on for the championship of the inaugural Betway Premiership’s 2024/25 season trophy between hot contenders and seven-time champions in a row Mamelodi Sundowns and contenders Orlando Pirates.

There is no time to be the fall guy now for these two contenders as any slip-ups will cost eachside dearly as the race heats up for the finish line. The ‘Yellow Machine’ of Sundowns has already been on the league summit has been perched on top since day one of the league and currently has 55 points from 22 games, winning18, drawing 1 and losing 3. Free scoring Masandawana has a high has banged 49 goals and only conceded 13 with a goal difference of 36 while its nearest rival, the Mighty Buccaneers, are on second spot with 46 points from 20 games.

The Ghost, as Pirates is also known to its endeared fans, has won 15, drew 1, lost 4 and
scored 32 goals and conceded one more than Masandawana with a goal difference of 18. One of those matches in the fierce race towards the finish line will be a clash between Sundowns and Pirates, which will mark the second round clash between the title contenders. Third and fourth teams are very tight, with Sekhukhune United ranking third on the log with 41 points from 24 games, having won 12, drew 5, lost 7 and slotted 34 goals while conceding 26 and a goal difference of 8.

It’s pretty much the same for Stellenbosch FC, who placed 4 th on the log with 38 points from 23 games so far and winning 10, drawing 8, losing 5. Stellies have scored 28, with 17 conceded and a higher goal difference of 11 than Sekhukhune. Due to the expulsion of Royal AM by the premiership custodians, the Premier Soccer League, the Brazilians as the Yellow Machine is also known to its fans, had three points expunged for the game it had already played against Royal AM and tumbled three points down to 55. Royal AM is currently in hot water with world governing body, Fifa, for failure to pay its players their salaries over many months and is the subject of an investigation of tax fraud with the South African Revenue Service (Sars) running into several millions of Rands.

Be that as it may, football pundits still think the league championship is for the Yellow
Machine to lose as they currently command a good chance to bag it, making it the 8th title in a row and the first team to engrave its name on the new trophy. Masandawana is also in line for the championship of the Caf Champions League on 29 May against Egyptian side Pyramids FC. If Masandawana win the final, they will earn its elusive second star after decade-long trial and error, losing once in the semi-final and twice in the final. Back to the domestic league, the Yellow Machine will do battle with Richards Bay FC on April 30 while its title rival, The Sea Robbers for Pirates will take on Sekhukhune United and both matches are scheduled to start at the same time at 19H30 with Masandawana at Loftus Versfeld Stadium and the Buccaneers at home at the Orlando Stadium. Stellenbosch will also be in action against Chippa United at the Danie Craven Stadium in Stellenbosch and kick is also set for 19H00.