Defending champions Kaizer Chiefs will fittingly kick-off the new Absa Premiership season next week and have an opportunity to lay down their marker at least a day before some of their main rivals taste any action.

Amakhosi will travel to newly-promoted Mpumalanga Black Aces on Friday and have the opportunity to give themselves a three-point head start.

 

Coach Stuart Baxter has already urged his players to remain “humble” as they bid to claim back-to-back league titles, just as they did eight years ago when they had won the championship for two seasons running.

 

Their opponents for the opening game, to be played at the Mbombela Stadium, have already recruited heavily in the off-season with 16 new signings to date and a new coach in veteran Clive Barker.

 

The ex-Bafana Bafana boss has reiterated that their ambition is top-flight survival.

 

Eight other clubs begin their campaigns on Saturday, including Aces’ fellow promotion foes, Polokwane City.

 

The Limpopo club defied the tragic circumstance of losing four players in a motor vehicle accident last season to win the National First Division and their reward is Premiership football with a debut against Maritzburg United at the Harry Gwala Stadium.

 

University of Pretoria, a club both Aces and City will be aiming to emulate after they ended in the top eight after their own elevation last year, kick off their season against Moroka Swallows at the Volkswagen Dobsonville Stadium.

 

The Birds missed out on a top half finish in 2012/13 and will disappointingly not have the chance to defend the MTN8 title they had won at the start of last term.

 

Similarly, Ajax Cape Town were absent from the top eight and will begin their new campaign with the long journey to the King Zwelithini Stadium where they will play Lamontville Golden Arrows in round one.

 

The other game on Saturday sees SuperSport United, who will be without the familiar feature of Gavin Hunt in the dugout for the first time in over half a decade, host Free State Stars at the Lucas Moripe Stadium in Atteridgeville.

 

Cavin Johnson is the new coach at Matsatsantsa and the ex-Platinum Stars boss will be desperate to career with a bang.

 

Johnson’s former club are amongst the four in action on Sunday with Dikwena and their interim manager Allan Freese hosting a new-look coaching team of Bidvest Wits at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium.

 

The ambitious Students appointed Hunt as their boss in the off-season and he too will be keen to start his new job on a positive note.

 

Also on the same day, Bloemfontein Celtic and Mamelodi Sundowns clash in possibly the tie of the round.

 

Siwelele ended fifth last year, while the Brazilians will be determined to start out well after ending a poorly 10th in 2012/13 – their joint-worst finish in the Premier Soccer League (PSL) era.

 

That match takes place at the Free State Stadium.

 

The final match of the opening round is delayed until the following week due to Orlando Pirates’ involvement in the CAF Champions League.

 

The Buccaneers will start out their domestic season by hosting AmaZulu at the FNB Stadium on August 7.

 

Roger de Sa’s team will be keen to put a tough past 12 months behind them and improve on their third-place league showing and general overall challenge in 2013/14.

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