Durban — SuperSport United’s 2-0 win over Stellenbosch FC on Tuesday not only took Matsatsantsa to the top of the Premiership standings, but also saw Bradley Grobler move joint top of the goal scoring charts this season along with Peter Shalulile and Bonfils-Caleb Bimenyimana.
The trio are all tied on six goals apiece.
It must be added that while SuperSport are on top of the log and Grobler is joint top of the goalscoring charts, the veteran will not be among the favourites this season to land the Lesley Manyathela Golden Boot award and neither will SuperSport be among the favourites to win the league title.
SuperSport are on top of the log with 20 points while second-place Mamelodi Sundowns have one fewer, having played two games less.
However, SuperSport can take heart from the fact that teams coached by Gavin Hunt tend to do very well when expectations are not high as happened five years ago when he led the now defunct Wits to the league title, which was the fourth his career. To date, it remains the last time that any team apart from Sundowns won the championship.
The 34-year-old Grobler may be in great form, but he has a history of getting injured. The former Bafana Bafana player won the Golden Boot in 2020-21 after scoring 16 goals from 26 league games. However, he managed just one goal from nine games last season as injuries took its toll on him.
This will give the likes of reigning top goal scorer Shalulile and Bimenyimana the upper hand in the race for the Golden Boot award.
As Chiefs’ Bimenyimana will also be out of action until after the World Cup break, it is Shalulile who will be the favourite yet again to win the Golden Boot award. In addition to having fitness on his side, the Namibian also plays alongside better quality attackers than Bimenyimana and Grobler which will also likely aid him in his quest for a second consecutive Golden Boot award.
IOL Sport