Every single one of the matches has a bearing on one of those aspects, meaning there are no dead rubbers with three rounds to play.
Here are the talking points ahead of the weekend.
Sundowns on the brink
Mamelodi Sundowns head the Betway Premiership by three points, but Wednesday’s draw with Kaizer Chiefs has handed the initiative to second-placed Orlando Pirates, who have a game in hand.
Sundowns have two games remaining, the first at home to Siwelele on Saturday before they travel to TS Galaxy on Tuesday, just days before the first leg of their CAF Champions League final.
They have a +34 goal difference and Pirates +41, so if both teams win their remaining games, as is expected, then it will come down to that. It is hard to see Sundowns closing the gap, especially if Pirates keep winning.
Three draws in their last five league games has been the issue, as has an inability to put teams away. Siwelele, who are pushing for a top-eight place, have drawn four of their last five and have become a tough nut to crack under coach Lehlohonolo Seema.
The teams also played to a 1-1 draw in their reverse fixture earlier this campaign. Sundowns simply cannot afford to be held again.
Pirates must maintain scoring form
Pirates seized the initiative with a 2-0 win at Stellenbosch FC on Tuesday and will look at their final three games as all very winnable.
They are away at bottom side Magesi FC on Saturday, before a home clash against Durban City the following weekend and a final game against another relegation-threatened side, Orbit College, on May 24.
Those teams will be battling for their lives, but Pirates should have too much quality for them and are unbeaten in 11 games (W7 D4) since a 2-1 home loss to Sundowns in February.
They, too, can ill afford another draw, but with 19 goals in their last six matches, more than three per game, they have found their scoring boots. They also have the best defence in the league.
They have not had it all their own way against Magesi, though, with three wins in the five previous meetings (D1 L1). They did win 2-0 in the reverse fixture in January.
Big game in race for third
Kaizer Chiefs face a potentially decisive match in their bid to finish third in the league and secure CAF Confederation Cup football for next season as they travel to Sekhukhune United on Sunday.
Chiefs are five points ahead of fourth-placed AmaZulu and six in front of Sekhukhune, with all sides having three games remaining.
But Chiefs are winless in four (D3 L1), though their last game was a 1-1 draw with Sundowns in which they performed well, but lost Mdu Shabalala to injury and Siphesihle Ndlovu to suspension.
Sekhukhune had looked well on course for third place, but a run of poor form saw the exit of Eric Tinkler as coach, to be replaced by Paulus Masehe. They have continued to bumble along, though they were 3-1 victors at ailing Chippa United in midweek.
Sekhukhune were 3-1 winners at Chiefs earlier this season and have three wins and two draws (L2) in their last seven clashes, a very healthy record.
Desperate Chippa
TS Galaxy and Chippa United both looked as though they would be fine just a few weeks ago, but their own poor form and others picking up points mean they are very much in the relegation equation.
Chippa more so, as they have 24 points, just two above the relegation play-off position and three above the automatic drop.
Back-to-back losses to AmaZulu (5-1) and Sekhukhune (3-1) cost coach Vusi Vilakazi his job in midweek as panic starts to set in.
Galaxy have 27 points, so are in less danger, but a 12-game winless run (D3 L9) in the league means their form is dire and anything is still possible.
However, victory at home in this encounter and they can start planning for next season.
Galaxy have had the better of previous encounters, winning seven of the 14 clashes between the sides (D3 L4), with that win-loss record 5-2 at home and no draws.
Their caretaker coach Bernard Parker has already been told he will not be in charge next season, but he would like to end the campaign on a high and will almost certainly stay on as assistant coach.
Different ambitions
Orbit College and AmaZulu have different goals as they meet in Rustenburg on Saturday, with the latter chasing Chiefs for third and the former hoping to pull further away from the relegation zone.
Orbit won a huge game 2-1 at Magesi in midweek that moved them out of the drop zone, just their second win in 16 (D4 L10) league games. If they can go back-to-back, it will be huge for their survival hopes.
AmaZulu have only one win in five (D3 L1), which has stunted their push for third and allowed Chiefs to get away with a run of mediocre results too.
No team has picked up fewer points (11) at home than Orbit this season, which is why they find themselves in the position they do. Eight home defeats is two more than the next worst. No team has conceded more than their 21 goals, and no team has scored fewer than their 10 goals in 13 games either.
AmaZulu (W4 D4 L5) have the sixth-best record away from home, but have also only scored 11 goals in 13 games. Don’t expect this to be a high-scoring thriller.
