DSTV Prem Matchday 1 – Winners And Losers By OptaJabu

A new Bet Central feature in the 2021/22 season will be a Statistical Winners & Losers section, highlighting some of the weekend’s highs and lows from a statistical standpoint. We’re continuing with the that was.

Themba Zwane – Winner

Themba Zwane is part of our Winners list for the first time this season, but chances are this will not be the last. The Sundowns wizard became just the third player in PSL history to score for his team on the opening top-flight weekend in three consecutive seasons. He joins Thabang Lebese (96/97 – 98/99), Lerato Chabangu (2012/13 – 14/15). His goal against AmaZulu was also his ninth against them in all competitions – more than he has against any other side. But he tops the winners’ list for this particular milestone:

50 – Zwane has now scored 50 league goals in his career, joining an exclusive club of 30 PSL players to reach the milestone.

Debutants – Winner

Scoring on your debut is a dream for any player. This weekend there were three such instances, with two of them coming in the same game. On an ordinary day, Judas Moseamedi scoring on the same day as Gabriel Jesus would be the story of the weekend. Not this time. Judas Moseamedi, Goodman Mosele and Veluyeke Zulu all scored on their debuts, joining our Winners’ list for the weekend.

3 – There were more debutant scorers on the opening day this season (3) than there were throughout all of last season (2).

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Vuyo Mere – Winner

21 seasons in the PSL. That is all.

20 – Vuyo Mere made his PSL debut 20 years ago this week (18 August 2001 v Black Leopards) and is now appearing in his 21st different PSL season. Longevity.

— OptaJabu (@OptaJabu)

Brandon Truter – Winner

Deep into injury time, it seemed like Swallows were continuing where they left off last season – with yet another draw. But Mbulelo Wambi’s injury-time winner helped Brandon Truter’s men make it two wins out of two in the new season. Remember, they won two of their last 21 games to conclude last season. Win against AmaZulu during the week, and Truter would have equalled his best run of successive wins since they came into the top-flight.

Half Time talk…
Truter unimpressed by the performance so far. We will see changes

— SwallowsFC (@Moroka_Swallows)

Gavin Hunt – Winner

When Gavin Hunt left Moroka Swallows, he had averaged almost 50 points per season at the club and won them the ABSA Cup. When he left Supersport, he was a 3-time title winner. When he left Wits, he was now a 4-time title winner. But when he left Kaizer Chiefs, there were more questions than answers. The questions will remain a little bit longer, but the answers will only be found by what his team does on the pitch. He’s started well.

901 – Chippa’s 1-0 win against Sekhukhune was Gavin Hunt’s 901st game as a PSL coach, comfortably more than any other side.

League Newbies – Losers

A battle that had moved from the field to the courtroom has now moved back to the field. For long parts of the off-season, the debate was whether Royal AM or Sekhukhune will participate in the DSTV Premiership. At different points it looked like either team would be promoted, but the triple factor of fate, law and economics means both kicked off as the 46th and 47th top-flight teams this weekend. Two 1-0 defeats showed both a glimpse of what can happen in the highest division, with Royal AM’s injury-time defeat the more painful.

2013/14 – The last time all new and newly promoted teams all lost on opening weekend was 2013/14 (Black Aces and Polokwane City).

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Benni McCarthy – Losers

One win in their last six games in all competitions (Drew 1 Lost 4). One open-play goal in 540 minutes of football. You would be forgiven for thinking we’re talking about Black Leopards of 2020 instead of the reigning PSL Coach of the Season. Winning that award without winning a title is not as outrageous as it sounds – it has happened on many occasions. Only that, it piles on the pressure for you to live up to that expectation immediately after that. Losing 1-0 to Sundowns shouldn’t be a nail in anyone’s coffin, but with one week left in the transfer window, the opportunity for finding much-needed cover is closing fast. With 11 players ill recently, one wonders how much depth Benni needs to make inroads both locally and internationally. The five games in two weeks (including a trip to Malawi) after the international break could be a better measure of how deep his resources are.

Kaizer Chiefs – Loser

A loss against Al Ahly in the Champions League final. Elimination from the MTN8 by Sundowns. A draw with TS Galaxy in the opening league game. Three competitive games is a small sample size to make any definitive conclusions, but it’s fair to say the second coming of Stuart Baxter has not been smooth sailing. In his defence, Baxter will point to the fact that he also lost his first game in 2012. But back then, his team responded to that defeat with a 6-0 hammering of AmaZulu – the second biggest opening day win in PSL history. It’s hard to see where 6 goals will come from for Chiefs in six matches, let alone one.

1 – Chiefs recorded just one shot on target in the match against TS Galaxy.