The Buccaneers should be too good for the men from Bloemfontein.
Siwelele FC came into the Betway Premiership with plenty of fanfare when it was announced they had bought the top-flight status of SuperSport United.
For now, however, a side that is basically a reincarnation of Bloemfontein Celtic are finding life difficult at the top.
After winning their first Premiership game of the campaign 3-1 at home to Golden Arrows, Siwelele have lost five of their next six games, drawing the other one. In that time, the side have also failed to score a single goal.
Over the weekend, club owner Calvin Le John issued a statement where he said the club had parted ways with assistant coach Andre Arendse and club CEO Stan Matthews.
“I cannot in good conscience keep them on board when their lives and their families’ lives are being threatened on a daily basis,” said the Siwelele owner.
The shambles the club is in was then reflected in the fact that they were the only club that failed to send a representative to Monday’s Carling Black Label Knockout last 16 draw.
Siwelele did sign some players to bolster their squad on deadline day, including Kaizer Chiefs pair Happy Mashiane and Samkelo Zwane. It remains to be seen, however, whether the new signings can help Siwelele out of this slump.
The Bloemfontein side will certainly be serious underdogs on Tuesday evening when Orlando Pirates visit the Free State Stadium.
After losing their first two Premiership games of the season, Abdeslam Ouaddou’s side have hit their stride, winning the MTN8, and their last three Premiership matches.
Pirates also hammered Lioli FC of Lesotho on Saturday in a Caf Champions League first preliminary round, first leg tie. While it was technically an away game for the Buccaneers, the match was played at the Free State Stadium, meaning Pirates should have no issues at all on Tuesday with tired legs from continental travels.
The Buccaneers have a host of talented attackers that should give problems to Siwelele, from Bafana star Oswin Appollis to an in-form Tshegofatso Mabasa, to young maverick Relebohile Mofokeng.
Pirates are priced at 1.66 according to Betway’s latest odds, with Siwelele at 5.80 and a draw at 3.40. And this game is highly likely to go with the form book.
Please note that all Betway odds are correct at the time of writing and subject to change.
