DStv Premiership Preview: Orlando Pirates Football Club vs Cape Town City

• Orlando Pirates will host Cape Town tonight at the Orlando Stadium, looking to address defensive issues which have seen the team concede early regularly
• There is also the small matter of going back up to second place on the DStv Premiership table, having been leapfrogged by Royal AM and arch-rivals Kaizer Chiefs
• The Cityzens have been properly inconsistent since the resumption of the season, losing, drawing and winning in their last three matches

An aggravated Orlando Pirates coach Mandla Ncikazi lamented the team's woeful defending in the opening exchanges of the CAF Confederations Cup match against Royal Leopards on Sunday night. They trailed 0-2 after just seven minutes, before getting their act together and overwhelming the Eswatini side 6-2.

Ncikazi said it was the worst start he had seen in his coaching career, adding, according to IOL:

"I thought Leopards were more passionate than us at the start and we took things too easy. We warned our team against that tendency and then we had to fight back. We still have a very heavy schedule ahead of us and this week is difficult because of the (Soweto) derby."

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Football

Meanwhile, former Buccaneers coach Eric Tinkler, now in charge of City, said that his team would not lack motivation against the Soweto giants.

He said:

"Everybody is motivated to play against Orlando Pirates and try to collect some valuable points at this stage of the season. We know it’s not going to be easy against Pirates. They are a team that is looking to ensure that they finish in the top four to qualify for the CAF competitions again.

"We are going to a big league fixture away from home. We’ve set our own targets and we need to go there and compete. After the break it was important for us to have started well in the league, collecting maximum points against Golden Arrows which was a positive.”

DStv Premiership Preview: Amazulu Football Club vs Stellenbosch Football Club

Amazulu Football Club will take on Stellenbosch Football Club tonight in a game that will seem like a classic six-pointer.

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Football

As reported on Sports Brief, Usuthu is in fine form right now, enjoying a three-match unbeaten run which includes two crucial wins in the CAF Champions League, where the quarterfinals beckon.

Stellenbosch is yet to win a match since the end of the recess, losing to Baroka FC and drawing with Swallows Football Club.