January critical for Downs’ march to No 8
Brazilians bolster their chances by re-signing their stars
● Just as events unfolded in the English Premier League last season, the Absa Premiership is turning out to be a race of the lost and found. Far from being an amazing one, though.
By the halfway mark last season, Leicester City, who were the reigning English champions, were sitting in position 16 while the eventual winners, Chelsea, who had finished 10th in the previous season, were on top of the log and already looking like champions — just as Manchester City are this season.
In 2017 and at the halfway mark, the Premiership champions, Bidvest Wits, are languishing at the bottom of the table with coach Gavin Hunt admitting at the weekend that he’s now worried about their survival.
Hunt’s counterpart at Leicester, Claudio Ranieri, got the sack in 2016 despite bringing the league title to the club for the first time – just as Hunt did with Wits.
On the other hand, the team that was lost and had finished second behind Wits last season, Mamelodi Sundowns, has found its rhythm this season.
Sundowns were close to doing what Manchester City are up to until Benni McCarthy’s Cape Town City somehow pulled up a handbrake on that rolling train, humbling the Brazilians 1-0 in their own backyard on Tuesday.
When the Premiership resumes in the first week of January, Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane will be fighting to keep McCarthy’s charges and other chasers at a reasonable distance.
City’s win over Sundowns on Tuesday led to them closing the gap to four points but Mosimane’s team still enjoys the advantage of having a match in hand.
Mosimane sounded unfazed about Tuesday’s defeat by City, saying “we’re still going to lose another match” and reminding everyone that he had warned the team’s supporters “to buckle up” because the season would be a bumpy one for his team.
The absence of defenders Bangaly Soumahoro and Motjeka Madisha on Tuesday did hurt Sundowns, who conceded only their second goal in six matches.
“We were falling off during the match. This match (against City) was our fifth in 13 days. No one was fresh. (Themba) Zwane, Percy (Tau) were falling off and not having players like Bangaly and Madisha didn’t help,” said Mosimane, who will have his players back from the festive break on December 27.
For Sundowns to show they are running away with this season’s title, January matches will be crucial. If they do as well as they did in December, when they romped to a four-match winning streak before losing to City, the title will be as good as theirs.
Sundowns’ January schedule includes two intriguing fixtures against Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs — the Soweto giants who usually give them a torrid run irrespective of form.
Mosimane will be encouraged, though, that he did pick up three points against Pirates in a 3-1 victory in Orlando in November. The match against Chiefs will be as crucial for three points as it will be for revenge because Amakhosi did surprise all and sundry when they beat the Brazilians 2-1 in Pretoria in October.
Also strengthening Sundowns’ chances to maintain their lead at the top was Mosimane confirming this week that they have renewed contracts with a number of their stars. They include defenders Madisha and Siyanda Zwane, goalkeeper Kennedy Mweene and midfielder Themba Zwane. Themba has played a critical role in the chase for what will be a record eighth PSL league title for the Brazilians.
It is also expected that they will soon renew contracts with midfielder Tiyani Mabunda and defender Tebogo Langerman.
Sundowns matches in January Polokwane City (a) – 6 Jan Ajax Cape Town (a) – 9 Jan Orlando Pirates (h) – 13 Jan Platinum Stars (h) – 20 Jan Kaizer Chiefs (a) – 27 Jan