Thursday, 16th August 2007 at 5:14 pm

Pirates, Sundowns hit bump in the road

What a night to be a Chiefs fan - three points in the bag after a win against Benoni (who, in the inimitable manner of South African football, now play out of Durban after the latest PSL franchise sale), and defeat for both Sundowns and Pirates. Muhsin Ertugral’s second stint with the Amakhosi is looking promising, and provided he doesn’t have cardiac arrest mid-season - no manager on the planet can match the Turk’s 90-minute tantrums - Chiefs may yet bounce back from last season’s nightmare.

Sundowns won’t be overly concerned by what was essentially a freak result, the wiles of Clive Barker guiding Amazulu past Gordon Igesund’s champions; it’s Pirates who look to be on shakier ground, whatever coach Bibey Mutombo’s protestations to the contrary. Granted, Moroka Swallows are always tough opposition, but right now Pirates aren’t looking like a team set to contest the PSL race.

It is a race that has a healthy sheen to it, however, the Sundowns result in particular suggesting we might be in for a more open season than the last one. The distraction of Africa - Patrice Motsepe’s Holy Grail - won’t hurt the chances of Sundowns’ rivals, and there’ll be plenty of them. And while it’s a little early to be making definitive calls, Feverpitcher won’t be surprised to see Chiefs leading the chasing pack.