The bulk of the matches in this weekend’s TAB soccer pools are international clashes, but the exciting exception is Saturday’s R200,000-added Soccer 10 that comprises eight England League Two games and a Spanish second division fixture, with high-flying Wrexham’s home match against Shrewsbury in League One headlining the pool.
The added cash from TAB should ensure a bumper pot of about R2 million and the payout could be huge, given that all the games are from ferociously competitive leagues in which fortunes can change in the blink of an eye.
Wrexham, the oldest football club in Wales and the third-oldest professional soccer outfit in the world, have rocketed from obscurity to international fame since being purchased by Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. In successive seasons they have won promotion from the National League and then League Two, and most pundits expected them to take time to find their feet in League One this season.
Astonishingly that hasn’t happened and Stockport County and Wrexham, first and second respectively in League Two last season, currently head the League One table along with Birmingham who were demoted from the English Championship last term.
Wrexham have three wins and a draw from their four matches this season and should have too much for Shrewsbury, who have lost three of their four games and were beaten by the Welsh outfit in a FA Cup clash back in January.
The game is also included in tomorrow’s Soccer 13, which boasts a guaranteed pool of R20 million and could produce a life-changing payout. Other bankers in that pool include Germany, Holland and England to win their respective games in the latest edition of the UEFA Nations League.
In tonight’s first Soccer 10 pool, you should also be able to count on South Africa to put Uganda to the sword in an African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier at Orlando Stadium. Hugo Broos has done well to build a competitive national football team that finished third at the AFCON finals at the start of this year.
That was Bafana's highest finish at AFCON in 24 years with Broos sensible enough to use a core of Mamelodi Sundowns players with much experience in continental football. The worry is that Bafana's problems have tended to come against opposition they are fancied to beat, as evidenced in last year's World Cup qualifying loss in Rwanda, plus they will be without captain and goalkeeper Ronwen Williams, whose superb displays at AFCON have earned him a FIFA Ballon D'Or nomination.
In his absence Sundowns' veteran forward Themba Zwane will lead Bafana and they should win without too much fuss provided complacency does not take its toll against a team ranked 95th in the world and capable of playing decent soccer. The game is also included in tonight’s R50,000-added Soccer 6, which is set to total close to R500,000. The pool closes at 18:00.
SOCCER 10 V3 SUGGESTED BET:
| M1: Congo DR vs Guinea | TEAM A WINS | DRAW | TEAM B WINS |
| Congo DR have avoided defeat in 11 of their last 15 games, while Guinea have won eight of their last 14. Congo DR won their last match 1-0 and have won their last five encounters with Guinea. | |||
| M2: Lithuania vs Cyprus | TEAM A WINS | DRAW | TEAM B WINS |
| Lithuania have been unable to win in 11 of their last 15 games and Cyprus have lost 10 of their last 14. Cyprus won their last clash with Lithuania 1-0 in November, the third time they have beaten them in their last four meetings. | |||
| M3: Sierra Leone vs Chad | TEAM A WINS | DRAW | TEAM B WINS |
| Sierra Leone have lost eight of their last 15 games, while Chad have lost 11 of their last 15. Sierra Leone drew 2-2 in their last match, whereas Chad lost 2-0. | |||
| M4: South Africa vs Uganda | TEAM A WINS | DRAW | TEAM B WINS |
| South Africa are unbeaten in their last eight games, while Uganda have lost nine of their last 15. Bafana won their previous clash with Uganda 3-2 at home three years ago and have won all four encounters with Uganda over the past 20 years. | |||
| M5: Togo vs Liberia | TEAM A WINS | DRAW | TEAM B WINS |
| Togo have avoided defeat in nine of their last 10 games and Liberia are unbeaten in their last five games. Their last meeting was eight years ago and ended 2-2. | |||
| M6: Morocco vs Gabon | TEAM A WINS | DRAW | TEAM B WINS |
| Morocco have won nine of their last 13 games, while Gabon lost five of their last 10. Their last clash ended 2-2. | |||
| M7: Ivory Coast vs Zambia | TEAM A WINS | DRAW | TEAM B WINS |
| Côte d'Ivoire are unbeaten in eight games, while Zambia have lost five in a row. Zambia won their last meeting with Côte d'Ivoire 3-0. | |||
| M8: Senegal vs Burkina Faso | TEAM A WINS | DRAW | TEAM B WINS |
| Senegal have won nine of their last 12 games, while Burkina Faso are winless in their last seven. Senegal won the last meeting between the two 3-1 and have won two of the last six encounters with three draws. | |||
| M9: Puerto Rico vs Haiti | TEAM A WINS | DRAW | TEAM B WINS |
| Puerto Rico have won eight of their last 15 games, while Haiti have won eight of their last 14. Haiti won the last meeting between the two 2-1, but that was a Caribbean Cup fixture 12 years ago. | |||
| M10: Jamaica vs Cuba | TEAM A WINS | DRAW | TEAM B WINS |
| Jamaica have won four of their last five meetings with Cuba over 19 years with Cuba winning once. Jamaica are on a three-game losing streak, while Cuba have lost eight of their last 13. | |||
Suggested R54 perm: 1,2,3 x 1,2,3 x 1,2,3 x 1 x 1 x 1 x 1 x 1 x 1 x 1.
SOCCER 10 V2 SUGGESTED BET:
| M1: Barrow vs Swindon Town | TEAM A WINS | DRAW | TEAM B WINS |
| This pool gets R200,000 in added cash from TAB so get set for a big pool that could yield a bumper payout. Most of the games come from England’s League Two with third-placed Barrow at home to one-from-bottom Swindon in the pool opener. Barrow are on a three-game winning streak, while Swindon are winless in their last five. Barrow won 1-0 in their previous game, whereas Swindon lost 1-2. Swindon did win the last meeting between the two in April, but Barrow have won three of the last six clashes. | |||
| M2: Bradford City vs Carlisle United | TEAM A WINS | DRAW | TEAM B WINS |
| Bradford have won eight of their last 14 games, while Carlisle United have lost nine of their last 15. Carlisle won the last clash between the two 3-1, but Bradford currently have four points more and are in ninth with Carlisle 21st. | |||
| M3: Crewe Alexandra vs Morecambe | TEAM A WINS | DRAW | TEAM B WINS |
| Crewe have lost eight of their last 14 games, while Morecambe are winless in their last eight. Crewe won their previous meeting 1-0 and have won three of the last six encounters with Morecambe winning twice and one draw. Crewe are 18th with four points with Morecambe on zero. | |||
| M4: Colchester United vs Bromley | TEAM A WINS | DRAW | TEAM B WINS |
| Bromley have won eight of their last 13 games, while Colchester are winless in their last three. Bromley are 10th in League Two and five places above Colchester. | |||
| M5: Doncaster Rovers vs Gillingham | TEAM A WINS | DRAW | TEAM B WINS |
| Doncaster have won nine of their last 15 games, while Gillingham have won six of their last nine. Gillingham currently lead League Two and are one point ahead of fifth-placed Doncaster Rovers. Their last meeting ended in a 2-2 draw. | |||
| M6: Milton Keynes Dons vs Walsall | TEAM A WINS | DRAW | TEAM B WINS |
| Walsall have won five of their last six games, while Milton Keynes Dons have lost eight of their last 12. Dons won the previous meeting between the two 5-0, but Walsall won three of the five clashes before that with two drawn. | |||
| M7: Newport County vs Port Vale | TEAM A WINS | DRAW | TEAM B WINS |
| Newport are on a three-game winning streak in League Two, whereas Port Vale have lost nine of their last 15 games in all competitions. Newport have won four of the last five encounters between the sides and are currently fourth in League Two with nine points. Port Vale have four points. | |||
| M8: Notts County vs Accrington Stanley | TEAM A WINS | DRAW | TEAM B WINS |
| Notts are on a two-game winning streak, while Accrington are winless in their last 10 games. The last meeting between the teams ended in a 2-2 draw. | |||
| M9: Wrexham vs Shrewsbury Town | TEAM A WINS | DRAW | TEAM B WINS |
| Wrexham, promoted from League Two last season, have made a flying start in League One and are currently second. They have won 11 of their last 15 games, while Shrewsbury have lost nine of their last 14. Wrexham are currently seven points ahead of 20th-placed Shrewsbury. | |||
| M10: Granada CF vs Deportivo La Coruna | TEAM A WINS | DRAW | TEAM B WINS |
| Spanish second division. Granada have lost eight of their last 13 games, while Deportivo have won eight of their last 15. In their last six meetings, Deportivo have won twice and Granada once with three draws. | |||
Suggested R108 perm: 1 x 1 x 1,2,3 x 1,2 x 1,2,3 x 1 x 1 x 1 x 1 x 1,2,3