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PSL: Our pick of the pile

Cape Town – Defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns lock horns with current, runaway leaders Kaizer Chiefs in easily the prime Absa Premiership match of the weekend... and our pundits are split mostly between a Chiefs win and stalemate.

Every PSL round, a Sport24 panel made up of compiler Rob Houwing plus Garrin Lambley, Raymond Silinga, Earl Haupt, Wade Pretorius, Tashreeq Vardien and Maano Nekhavhambe will attempt to hit the right buttons in forecasting a trio of the most attractive games.

We will keep a season-long leaderboard showing who is prospering and which wretched souls are floundering: three points for wholly correct scoreline, one for right result.

Here our three picks for Week 11: 

1. Kaizer Chiefs v Mamelodi Sundowns, Saturday 15:30, FNB Stadium

There has been an unusually extended break in PSL action ... might it signal a renewed resolve among the other challengers to rein in rampant Chiefs? The Amakhosi lead by a formidable 11 points so you won’t find too many punters suggesting the gulf will be closed sufficiently for any other name to go on the trophy this season. So it is vital for ‘Downs, themselves a dozen points adrift, not to stumble here ... and ideally to win if they believe they still possess title mettle! But this is at “Fortress FNB” for Chiefs and unless my ageing eyes are deceiving me you won’t mind too many tips below for the away win.

Rob’s tip: 1-0
Garrin: 1-1
Raymond: 1-2
Earl: 2-1
Wade: 2-1
Tashreeq: 2-2
Maano: 1-0

2. Ajax Cape Town v Maritzburg United, Saturday 20:15, Cape Town Stadium

A bit of the sting has gone out of Ajax’s challenge of late, including a 0-3 thumping away to AmaTuks which did little to suggest they are genuine contenders to overhaul Chiefs – they have even been elbowed into third on the table by unheralded Chippa United. But this is still a good-value game between the third and fourth-placed teams: there’s a bit of “history” to the Cape Town fixture between them, as it was on the eventful last day of the 2010/11 season that the KZN midlanders spoilt a potential party in the shadow of Table Mountain – the 2-2 outcome meant Ajax were denied the title on goal difference as Orlando Pirates gleefully nipped in for the silverware. I suspect another stalemate is in the offing ... but not everyone agrees.

Rob’s tip: 1-1
Garrin: 2-1
Raymond: 2-1
Earl: 1-0
Wade: 2-1
Tashreeq: 2-1
Maano: 1-1

3. SuperSport United v Orlando Pirates, Sunday 15:30, Peter Mokaba Stadium

Supporters of both these proud sides must be rather frustrated about their humdrum mid-table status at present; SuperSport are seventh and Pirates eighth, although the Sea Robbers do have a game in hand which could, in fairness, take them to much better real estate. But this is also a golden opportunity for the “other” Soweto giant to make much-needed upward strides, and two of our panel – Tashreeq and Maano – envisage them bagging all three points in Polokwane. But there’s even firmer support for United winning.

Rob’s tip: 1-0
Garrin: 1-1
Raymond: 1-1
Earl: 1-0
Wade: 2-1
Tashreeq: 2-3
Maano: 0-1

LEADERBOARD:

27 - Wade
22 - Tashreeq & Earl
20 - Ray
18 - Rob & Maano
16 - Garrin

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