Opening fixtures for 2012/13 League season

The public draw was made in the interests of transparency, after claims that the so-called ‘Big Three' had been favoured in the past with the allocations of fixtures.   There were a number of permutations taken into account, such as the allocation of Soweto Derby matches to weekends and the fact that teams from the same geographical location would not play at home on the same weekend.   And despite this draw, the fixture list for the opening weekend will still have a familiar look to it.   Orlando Pirates will host Golden Arrows, the team they beat on the final day of last year to secure the title.   And Kaizer Chiefs will be away at AmaZulu, the side that they too ended their 2011/12 campaign against last month.   Mamelodi Sundowns will play the winner of the PSL Play-off Tournament, one of Santos, Thanda Zulu Royal or Chippa United, while newly-promoted University of Pretoria play their first-ever top-flight match at home to Maritzburg United.   Last season's runners-up, Moroka Swallows, are away at Platinum Stars, while SuperSport United travel to Cape Town to meet Ajax.   The full fixture list will be compiled using the numbers allocated to these teams, and dates and venues announced in due course. League action will start on the weekend of August 11-12.      The draw was conducted under the watchful eye of auditors KPMG, who declared it free of outside influence.

  2012/13 Premiership opening weekend:   Platinum Stars vs Moroka Swallows AmaZulu vs Kaizer Chiefs Ajax Cape Town vs SuperSport United Orlando Pirates vs Golden Arrows University of Pretoria vs Maritzburg United Mamelodi Sundowns vs Play-off Winner Black Leopards vs Bloemfontein Celtic Free State Stars vs Bidvest Wits