Bidvest Wits and defending Absa Premiership Champions Mamelodi Sundowns played out a thrilling 1-1 draw at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban. Sundowns were desperate to cut Kaizer Chiefs lead to seven points in the match played on Tuesday night, but the draw took them to second, nine points behind the runaway leaders. Wits are fourth, 14 points behind the leaders, but with three games in hand. In the ABSA Premiership preview, these are teams that were expected to make a genuine push for the title this season, but Chiefs have been on a rampage since the beginning of the season which drew a lot of Betway’s fans attention.

Sundowns showed intent with Gaston Sirino firing them in front before Wits equalized just before the break through Gift Motupa. Fresh from their win against Maritzburg United in the Telkom Knockout final four days ago, the Brazilians found the net after just 15 minutes, courtesy of the lethal Uruguayan. It was a well-worked worked goal that saw speedy Andile Jali burst down the right before finding Themba Zwane, who instantly passed to the free Sirino to fire into an empty net.

Wits almost equalized immediately after Haashim Domingo attempted to beat Sundowns shotstopper Dennis Onyango after the restart, only to see his shot spill inches wide. The Wits would wait until the dying minutes of the first half to level matters after Deon Hotto controlled Ricardo Grosso’s goal kick to tee up the on form Motupa who headed powerfully past the Ugandan goal keeper.

The second half belonged to anyone, as both teams squandered goalscoring opportunities. Wits Elias Pelembe and Sphelele Mkhulise of Sundowns were particularly impressive, but the points were eventually shared after the final whistle.

How it looks

Sundowns find themselves in familiar grounds, after playing catch-up in previous seasons owing to a busy schedule involving continental assignments. They have won four of the last six editions of the Absa Premiership, with Bidvest Wits and Kaizer Chiefs the only two bloats spoiling their incredible run.

Nine points clear at the top after thirteen rounds of matches should be comfortable enough for Chiefs, but they’ll be wary of the threat the teams behind them pose. Supersport United are currently third, having played a game more than the top two teams, and 4 more than Wits. Supersport United cannot be ruled out yet, but Wits’ main challengers for the season will certainly be Sundowns and Chiefs.

Under Pitso Mosimane, Sundowns will be looking to find balance between the Premiership matches and the continental matches that are getting into a more critical stage. They currently head Group C which features Algerian heavyweights USM Alger, Wydad of Morocco, and Petro Atletico of Angola. Bidvest Wits, on the other hand, are not finding life too easy in the CAF Confederation Cup where they sit 3 rd in Group C with only one point.

Chiefs will be hoping that their two main challengers can stay longer in the competition for distraction. Sundowns are in a good place to proceed, but Wits are in a bad place, and they could seek solace in the Absa Premiership. What an opportunity for Betway football fans to try their luck. Chiefs beware.