Pitso rips into Wits as race hots up

OUTSPOKEN Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane took a swipe at premiership title rivals BidVest Wits and said Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs are the only clubs he regards as competition in South Africa.

Second-placed Sundowns trail premiership leaders Wits by three points and with three games remaining this season‚ coach Gavin Hunt’s charges appear to be within touching distance of a maiden league title.

Mosimane said Sundowns should never be compared to Wits because the Brazilians have set their sights on continental and global achievements while the Clever Boys have limited their focus to domestic accolades.

“They are focused on the local league and it is very difficult for us to compete with them because they do not care about the African Champions League‚” Mosimane said.

“They don’t care‚ they just want to win the local league here [in SA]. But Sundowns is a bigger club.

“We have bigger ambitions. We are not competing with Wits‚ nothing‚ no ways.

“We compete with [Orlando] Pirates and [Kaizer] Chiefs and that’s it.”

Sundowns are the African Champions League holders and they resume the defence of their continental title against Saint George SC of Ethiopia at Lucas Moripe Stadium on Saturday.

Their continental duties have been sandwiched between domestic responsibilities for the better part of the campaign and it is for this very reason that Mosimane does not want Sundowns to be compared to Wits.

The Clever Boys crashed out in the infancy stages of the Caf Confederations Cup last month and Mosimane suggested that their exit was largely because Wits were more focused on winning the domestic league title than on putting up a strong challenge in the continental competition.

“We can’t throw away a game because this game is going to take me somewhere [on the continent] and I’m going to fly there and come back and maybe I might compromise the last two games.

“I mean we are long in this game and we know the story. We want to win on all fronts like last year. We want to win the [domestic] league and we want to win the Champions League.”

But Mosimane conceded that the domestic league title race is no longer in Sundowns’ hands and it is now Wits’ championship to lose.

“I think it’s good for football but it could have been nicer if the two sides had equal points.

“It’s good for football but at this point in time it is in Wits’ hands. I have learnt a lesson not to rely on other people to help me because when I need help nobody helps me. So I have to do what I have to do.

“It is exciting to be there. It was in Wits’ hands and they handed it over to Cape Town City. We had it for three days maybe if I am not mistaken because we have been playing for three days.

“We had it and then it slipped out of our hands. So it’s back in Wits’ hands.”

Sundowns host Baroka FC at Lucas Moripe Stadium tomorrow while rivals Wits are away to Free State Stars on the same day.