Sundowns have to test City’s defence, demands Pitso
JOHANNESBURG: Pitso Mosimane’s nonchalant attitude towards Mamelodi Sundowns’ goalless draw with Chippa United yesterday told the story of a man who knows just what it takes to win the championship.
Whereas many a coach would have lamented the loss of two points that meant the failure to move within touching distance of the top of the PSL standings, Africa’s Coach of the Year took the result as it came and quickly looked ahead to the next match.
“We lost a game in hand today, it’s gone now. But we got a point and you also have to understand that you can’t get it all,” Mosimane said deep in the bowels of Loftus.
Mosimane’s belief is that hurdles such as the one his team encountered in Chippa will befall just about everyone of the championship contenders and the key for his team is not to drop their heads.
“We’re going to cancel each other out,” he said.
“Sure we dropped points. But the (Soweto) derby is always a draw – you know that. Wits and Chippa next week won’t be easy. Wits v SuperSport, a big game. Wits and the Citizens another big game. So you don’t have to beat Wits and Cape Town City to win the league.”
Don’t, however, misconstrue that last statement to mean he won’t be going all out for a win at Athlone Stadium tomorrow night. Far from it, for he knows a win there would put Sundowns in good stead towards defending their title.
He is also aware of just how tough an opposition Eric Tinkler’s men will be.
“They are a difficult team,” he said of City. “They’ve got a very good attack. They have two (players) who cause trouble and we really have to look after them. But the question is how far can you stop them? So we have to test their defence. You can’t worry too much about them, they must worry about us.”
While saying that City are not necessarily a new team because they took over a Black Aces side that had done well in the previous season, Mosimane acknowledged the great work done by Tinkler.
“They’ve got a coach who wants to make a mark in his career; who feels maybe at (Orlando) Pirates ‘I was not given the opportunity’ and he is saying ‘I have a chance’ and he is doing exceptionally well. They have a good attack, (Lehlohonolo) Majoro, (Lebogang) Manyama and (Aubrey) Ngoma,” Mosimane said.
He questioned City’s depth, though.
“But what if injuries come to those players? What will they do? Imagine if they faced what I am facing now,” he said.
“We don’t have Khama (Billiat), he is injured and Anthony (Laffor) is also injured.
“We lost Keegan (Dolly). It will be difficult, injuries and suspensions happen and they have to be able to sustain it without those players. Will they?”
That is a question that can only be answered in time. What will be answered in the immediate future is whether Sundowns can gain sweet revenge for the 2-1 first round defeat City inflicted on them in their own backyard.