Pitso at ease over title race
PITSO Mosimane is keeping his emotions in check as the PSL race hots up.
After reading through this, you would be forgiven for thinking the Mamelodi Sundowns mentor is deflecting the pressure on to other teams.
“Jingles” said ahead of today’s big clash against Bidvest Wits at Loftus Stadium (6pm) that the Brazilians don’t have to beat the Clever Boys.
Mosimane argued that the reigning PSL champions are two points ahead in terms of their plan that he didn’t dwell much on and therefore not desperate for a win.
“Do we have to win against Wits? No, we don't have to win,” claimed Mosimane.
The coach said he’d been watching teams exchange the top spot on the log week in and week out. Then, in the same breath, he suggested that this would stop once fifth-placed Sundowns go top. Wits are currently top of the standings.
“There is a nice jollyride up there, up and down, up and down. We don't want to get involved in that and hopefully we will get there at the right time. And then we stop the jollyrides,” said Mosimane.
“I don't like to be up and down. The worst thing you can do for yourself is to allow Sundowns to have [a] six points (lead), you know that,” he said.
“There at the top it is position up for grabs. It is SuperSport [United], it is Wits, it is [Cape Town] City, it is (Kaizer) Chiefs . . . I mean really. For you as the media it is quality and you have to talk about it.
“I also like it when you report about it writing in block letters; ‘Chiefs on top’, ‘Chiefs at the summit’. I like that, it is okay but as the coaches have said it is a false league. “Let it be real and then we can start talking,” Mosimane said. added. Sundowns and Wits last met in October in the MTN8 final at Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit. Wits put Sundowns to the sword and won 3-0.
Mosimane, though, intimated that he was not concerned about that result ahead of the clash. “We beat them twice last season [in league games], so who is under pressure to win? “If it is about bragging rights, I can say I’ve won the [Caf] Super Cup. I can say I won the Champions League. I can say I won the league with 71 points – 14 points they [Wits] were behind,” Mosimane added.