There are some big clashes at both the top and bottom of the table, and teams hoping for a morale-boosting restart to their league campaigns.
Sekhukhune United vs Orlando Pirates
Orlando Pirates return to domestic action on Saturday with an away trip to Sekhukhune United, looking to protect an excellent run of results.
It is difficult to talk about their current form given it has been almost 50 days since they last played a competitive fixture, but they have won their last five matches in a row and are unbeaten in 17 domestic league and cup games (W14 D3), during which time they won the MTN8 and Carling Knockout.
Victory over Sekhukhune would take them back to the top of the Betway Premiership, as they currently trail leaders Mamelodi Sundowns by a point but have two games in hand.
Sekhukhune are fourth, just three points behind Pirates but having played two games more. However, a 1-0 home loss to Stellenbosch FC on Tuesday was a disappointment and they are in the middle of one of those spirals that has affected coach Eric Tinkler throughout his career, which he often finds difficult to lift his teams from.
They have a single victory in their last eight games (D3 L4), taking just three points from the last 18 available in the league. They might have been well ahead in the title race were it not for this lean patch.
All that being said, Sekhukhune have won three of their last four matches against Pirates, including a 1-0 away win in August. Overall, Pirates lead the head-to-head 6-4 with one draw.
Orbit College vs Chippa United
Bottom side Chippa United restart their league campaign desperate for points, as they sit two points behind Magesi FC in the relegation play-off position (having played a game more) and four points adrift of Orbit College in absolute safety.
They travel to Orbit on Saturday in search of a good start to the second half of the season, with conventional wisdom suggesting they need around another 21 points to avoid relegation. That is certainly what history suggests.
That would mean seven wins in their next 15 games, or six wins and three draws, and so on. It seems a tall order for a side that has taken just nine points from the first 45 available and scored only seven goals in 15 games while conceding 21.
Chippa’s seven away games this season have yielded just two points and three goals.
The concern is that this dire form is not new. Looking back to last season, they have a single win in 23 games (D9 L13), dating back almost a year to March.
That one win came against Orbit in September, when Chippa claimed a 2-1 home victory.
However, Orbit are on a four-game losing streak themselves and, as so often happens with promoted sides, once the novelty and euphoria of topflight football wear off and teams work you out, they can stutter in the second half of the season.
Orbit have already played this week, losing 2-0 to Sundowns on Monday.
AmaZulu host TS Galaxy on Sunday, with both teams on 24 points and only five behind leaders Sundowns, about as good as they could have possibly imagined at this stage of the campaign.
AmaZulu are on a strange run of seven games in which each victory has been followed by a defeat, so having beaten Lamontville Golden Arrows last time out, it is not a good omen for them.
They have not been involved in a draw since the opening day of October, when they drew 1-1 with Kaizer Chiefs.
Galaxy have played a game more following their 2-0 win over Marumo Gallants in midweek and are unbeaten in four (W2 D2), though they tend to blow a little hot and cold themselves.
Galaxy have dominated this fixture in recent times, winning the last five meetings between the sides. They lead the overall head-to-head 7-3 with two draws and won 3-1 at home in September.
Durban City (22 points from 15 games) and Polokwane City (23 from 14) will also be very satisfied with the first half of their campaigns and will want to keep that momentum going, though both last played on December 3.
Their seasons have, in many ways, been built on stout defence rather than attacking excellence, so do not necessarily expect a lot of goals in this one.
That said, City won 4-1 in the Carling Knockout when the sides met in October, though the league game before that in Polokwane ended 0-0.
City have been better at home this campaign, as expected, with 13 of their 22 points coming on their own patch. However, with new coach Sinethemba Badela in charge following the surprise axing of Gavin Hunt, exactly how they line up and what tactics they employ remains to be seen.
Polokwane have been decent travellers, with three wins and a draw from seven away trips to date.
Richards Bay host Siwelele to kick off the weekend’s action on Friday night, with both clubs slightly underwhelmed by their first half of the campaign.
Richards Bay have 17 points from 14 games and Siwelele 16 from 15, and a few early wins over the next couple of weeks could move them clear of relegation trouble.
Richards Bay have not played since November but did beat AmaZulu 2-0 in their last fixture, their only win in five (D3 L1), while Siwelele are winless in three (D2 L1).
The teams played out a dour 0-0 draw when they last met in August, which was also their first-ever encounter.
Siwelele have been poor travellers, with a single win in seven (D1 L5), and have generally struggled for goals, scoring just eight in their 15 games this season. Only Chippa (7) have scored fewer in the top flight.