Pitso, be warned, Chiefs can box smart
Many may have thought Pitso Mosimane was up to his old tricks and playing mind games when he said the Highlands Park game was for him bigger than the clash against Kaizer Chiefs at Loftus Versfeld tomorrow.
But looking at how the game against the Lions of the North panned out, Mosimane was perhaps right. Highlands went pound-for-pound with Downs and at some stage looked like they would cause an upset at Lucas Moripe Stadium.
But, true to their potential, Sundowns sneaked a late goal to take the three points and close the gap on Chiefs atop the Absa Premiership standings.
Winning against Highlands now gives Mosimane more room to play around with his tactics for tomorrow’s game and while Ernst Middendorp was a keen watcher in Masandawana’s last two games, he may have learned nothing.
When they press, there are not many teams who can stop Sundowns with their options up front proving to be variable yet slick and precise.
Mosimane said Chiefs’ current style is gallant and they take you head-on – the way a fight involving Mike Tyson in boxing would go. Sundowns can do that – they have done it plenty of times in the Caf Champions League, especially away.
They bring the fight to your door, they don’t wait for you to
Sibongiseni Gumbi
answer the door but rather break in and get what they want, leaving you wondering what has hit you.
But they can also box smart like – as Mosimane again rightly noted – Floyd Mayweather. Some have accused Mayweather of being boring especially in big fights, but he knows when to protect himself while scoring vital points against an opponent who cries foul after the result is announced.
The Highlands win gives Mosimane the space and opportunity to box smart against a violent Amakhosi side who will come looking for a fight. Middendorp took copious notes, but he must be racking his brains thinking about which Sundowns he can expect tomorrow afternoon.
Will it be a boastful Bafana Bastyle who stick to their traditional “Shoeshine and Piano” style or will it be a bullish Masandawana outfit who want to score as many goals as they can?
The cards are stacked in Mosimane’s favour here. But this in no way suggests Sundowns will have an easy game.
Chiefs’ aggression has proven too much for many sides. Ask Benni McCarthy, he was left blaming everything and everyone – he stopped short of blaming Eskom’s load shedding – after Chiefs were done with him and left his players sprawling all over the place panting like over-exercised dogs.
It is difficult for now to know if Amakhosi can also box smart as it has been about the results for them. It has been about getting the job done first. I guess you can say they are efficient in the undertaking of their job.
They are like a bank teller. You get a little faint smile but the transaction goes through professionally without any chit-chat.
Sundowns are like a cashier at a supermarket. It depends how their day is. You may find them smiling and cracking small jokes. But sometimes all you will get is a glance and a “plastic?” inquiry.