JINGLES KEEN TO CLOSE THE GAP
THIS is not how it should be! Mamelodi Sundowns positioned in the bottom half of the PSL table?
Granted the record eight time
PSL champions have played just four matches – one and two less than everyone else – except bottom-placed Maritzburg United who have also played four. But even then, such is the quality at the Brazilians that the sight of them down there is pretty uncommon unless of course when they are involved in continental competition.
But Pitso Mosimane’s team have long since bid the Caf Champions League goodbye and would have ordinarily closed the gap a bit.
Yet wins have proven hard to come by and after three draws they are going to have to start firing if they are going to stop Gavin Hunt’s Wits from reclaiming the league title, or better yet Mosimane’s buddy Steve Komphela’s Bloemfontein Celtic being crowned champions.
The two are top of the standings on 13 points with Celtic having played five matches, one less than Wits.
As if the failure to win matches was not bad enough, Sundowns are currently under a dark cloud following the weekend’s thrilling 3-3 draw at AmaZulu.
Pretty impressive
They were pretty impressive in that see-saw battle with AmaZulu last weekend with debutant Phakamani Mahlambi impressing with a goal and Tony Silva showing his class too.
With their attack not being an issue, Mosimane would have worked on sorting out Sundowns’ uncharacteristic defensive frailties that saw them let in three very soft goals.
In Golden Arrows they meet a side that is also not having the best of starts to the season, with Abafana Bes’thende being down in 11th place with just five points from the same number of matches.
They go into this game fresh from a 2-1 defeat at Highlands Park, but will be banking on their generally good record against the Brazilians to help them bounce back.
An entertaining, open match is in the offing – as is always the case when these two teams meet.
After all, Sundowns would no doubt want to make sure things are as they should be as soon as possible.