Dutch flavour adds to exciting PSL title race

Dutchmen Alje Schut and Kees Kwakman were in Sandton sharing a meal a few days ago when they became nostalgic and reminisced about their time in the Dutch Eredivisie.

These social interactions over food have become important for the two defenders. Schut plays his football at Mamelodi Sundowns and Kwakman at Bidvest Wits, and they've become close friends since the latter joined The Clever Boys in August.

But friends will become foes in nine days' time when the two face off in arguably the most important match of their respective premiership campaigns so far this season.

Soccer fans will know then - on the evening of March 3 - whether we have a Premier Soccer League title race or not. This crucial encounter between second versus third-placed on the log table would have naturally come up in the conversation, along with the banter.

"We've played against each other a lot in Holland, but it will be the first time here in South Africa," said Kwakman.

"He was at my house on Monday, which shows we have a lot of contact. He helped me a lot when I first arrived and he had his family here, so we would meet a couple of times with the children. It is always good to have a Dutchman around."

With Schut confirming that he would be leaving Sundowns at the end of the season, his wife and children have already made their way back to Holland and patiently wait for the premiership curtain to come down.

"Now he (Schut) is alone," Kwakman said. "And he moved closer to where we live and we invite him over a couple of times because it's not so nice to be alone."

On the pitch, the rivalry has intensified. Kwakman scored his first and second goal in the premiership in one match when Wits walloped hapless Moroka Swallows in Dobsonville, Soweto, early last week.

Is it a coincidence that those two well-taken strikes came a day after the two Dutch defenders had broken bread?

"We had a double interview with a Dutch newspaper and Kees was telling me that they were going to beat Swallows and that he had a good feeling about the match," said Sundowns skipper Schut. "He hadn't scored yet, so I gave him a little bit of stick for that. Now, suddenly, we both have two goals in the league."

Sundowns could kick Wits out of the title race when the two sides meet at Milpark. The same could be said if The Clever Boys use their home-ground advantage to claim the three points. The Brazilians might come into that clash tied with Wits, but with a game in hand, as they take on AmaZulu before their trip to Empire Road.

Schut and Kwakman are coached by two men with contrasting views about how the title race will unfold. Pitso Mosimane, the Downs coach, reckons there's more than enough time to catch log leaders Kaizer Chiefs, while Wits' Gavin Hunt is adamant Amakhosi are runaway league winners boasting a 10-point gap.

"One of us is going to fail," said Kwakman. "If we want to stay in the race, we must beat Sundowns and the same goes for them. They are looking better for the championship if they win their two games in hand."

Schut wants to back Mosimane, but admits it's not in their hands as reigning champions.

"It's very simple; even if we win all our games we could still not win the league," he said.

"It's not in our hands because Chiefs have to lose a few. Pitso wants to keep pressure on Chiefs, but Gavin is right."