It’s back to business in Sweden

It’s back to business in Sweden

Sweden’s Allsvenskan returns to action this weekend when there will be many chances to hit it big including four cash-boosted TAB pools

By Mark Gleeson

Swedish premier league football returns after a one-month mid-season break with matches on Sunday and Monday and two-thirds of the season still to be completed.

The matches will add sparkle to TAB soccer pools and South African interest will be on Varberg, the club from a small town on the western coast of Sweden who surprised in 2020 when winning promotion to the top flight for the first time in their 95-year history.

Since then they have finished 11th and then 10th in the Allsvenskan and are now in their third season. They have started this new campaign with three victories in their opening 10 games and sit one place above the relegation places.

Last season there were five South Africans on their books, but Keenin Ayer, Dean Solomons and Ryan Moon have since left with Luke le Roux (22) and Tashreeq Matthews (21) continuing this campaign. Stellenbosch FC midfielder Jayden Adams is also on trial at the club.

Varberg have a tough comeback game away at Elfsborg where the home side will be the strong favourites. Hacken and AIK Stockholm are the current leaders on 23 points with Hammarby third on 20.

Hacken resume away at Hammarby, who can overtake their rivals in the table with a home victory.

AIK, where Stuart Baxter previously coached, are away against second-from-bottom Degerfors, who have lost eight of their opening 10 matches.

The second Soccer 10 on Saturday will be one of the highlights of the weekend. TAB is adding R250,000 to the pool, which comprises only Major League Soccer clashes in the USA and could produce a mega payout.

There used to be a considerable South African presence in Major League Soccer, but now there are just two - ex-Maritzburg United striker Bongokuhle Hlongwane at Minnesota United and Tsiki Ntsabaleng at FC Dallas.

Hlongwane has started six games and made nine substitute appearances, but is yet to score and will be hard pressed to do so away against Inter Miami on Saturday.

Ntsabeleng is not yet a regular at Dallas, but did find the net last month for his first MLS goal against Texas rivals Houston Dynamo. Next up for Dallas is another Texas derby at steadily improving Austin on Saturday.

The key MLS game this weekend is the visit of champions New York City to Philadelphia Union. New York City are looking for a new coach and it’s a good opportunity for Philadelphia to stop the champions in their tracks with a home victory.

Egypt’s season is still some way from completion but looks headed for a dramatic finish. Al Ahly drew 2-2 against log-leaders, and defending champions, Zamalek in last Sunday’s Cairo derby as they get use to life without coach Pitso Mosimane.

Next up for the Cairo giants is the Egypt Cup quarter-final against Pyramids on Sunday with the winner then taking on Petrojet. Percy Tau could be dropped for that game, having been taken off at half-time of the Zamalek clash.

Four TAB soccer pools get cash add-ins from TAB this weekend, including Friday’s Soccer 10 which starts with R250,000 and could soar way over R2 million. If you never played Soccer 10, Friday’s pool is the right place to start.