Feel it... It's almost here!

The 97-day wait is almost over! Yip, feel it... it's almost here - #NFD action returns on Saturday, 19 August and if the boardroom activities are anything to go by, a cracker of a season will surely be on the cards.

Opening round fixtures sees no less than five of the eight clashes, being between teams who will meet each other for the first time - throw in four derbies and you guaranteed an action-filled afternoon.

I briefly unpack Saturday’s action as teams return from Mozambique, some adding 17 players to their squad and two promoted teams all part of the action.

Highlands Park vs Jomo Cosmos
- Makhulong Stadium

In a rematch of the 2014-15 opening round fixture, two former PSL-sides take to the field looking for a positive start along with the Ekurhuleni derby honours. The Lions of the North will be chasing their first victory against a team who they faced on two occasions, but their history dates back to 1983 - when the legendary Jomo Sono bought the then highflying Highlands Park.

Mbombela United vs Black Leopards
- KaNyamazane Stadium

Lidoda Duvha will surely be gunning for straight promotion, after falling short at three play-off rounds in the past four seasons. Tingwenyama on the other hand will be hoping their pre-season trip to Mozambique will ignite their maiden season heroics, but the untimely departure of Coach Ashwin Sutton could cause a delay. The sides have previously met in four encounters, both teams with a win under their belt, along with two draws.

University of Pretoria vs Mthatha Bucks
- Tuks Stadium

A new look Amathol'amnyama will look to build on last season's momentum, Coach Ian Palmer having added a massive 17 new recruits, with their first assignment against the Shaun Bartlett-lead AmaTuks. The last time these two sides squared off at the Tuks Stadium, it was Bucks who looked to secure the three points, only for a late strike by the now departed Anthony Gordinho, which saw the match end in a 2-2 draw.

Uthongathi FC vs Royal Eagles
-Princess Magogo Stadium

The ABC Motsepe League national champions Uthongathi gets their campaign off the ground with a KZN derby against the big-spending Royal Eagles. The Cane Cutters as the rookies are known has shown some good potential in the recent KZN Premier’s Cup, defeating PSL-outfit AmaZulu but coming short against Golden Arrows.

Witbank Spurs vs Super Eagles
- Puma Rugby Stadium

Siyavutha heads into the season as the longest NFD-campaigning-side, squaring off against Bethlehem-based rookies Super Eagles. Spurs have in recent seasons shown that they can compete with the chasing pack but a matchup against a fairly unknown quantity in Eagles, should be a tricky opener.