Pitso plays Down title race talk
BRAZILIANS CLOSE IN ON THE SUMMIT Mosimane wary of counting on the two matches his charges have in hand over fellow contenders.
Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane is reticent about his side’s title chances, even though Tuesday night’s impressive win at Bidvest Wits saw them move to within touching distance of the top of the Absa Premiership.
Masandawana are three points off the top of the league, with at least two games in hand on all the sides above them, but the Brazilians coach knows all too well about the dangers of banking on matches still to play.
Last season, Sundowns’ run to the 2016 Caf Champions League title meant that they had plenty of matches in hand on the rest of the table, but they ultimately lost out in the Premiership race to Wits.
“Games in hand don’t work, I don’t want to talk about those things in case they jinx me,” said Mosimane.
“I admire Baroka (top of the table for much of the season-so-far) and Cape Town City, I think Wits will come up slowly with the quality they have. They (Wits) beat the team that are number one on the log (Baroka) in Polokwane easily.
“I know Sundowns, we have started slowly every year, we never take the lead, hopefully this time we can take the lead. But we are playing Chippa (in Sundowns’ next game on Saturday). They are very strong, they beat us in the Telkom Knockout and we have to respect them.”
All the same, six league games before the Christmas break do represent a chance for Sundowns to make a real title statement.
“Let’s get there first,” cautioned the Sundowns coach. “It is always nice to talk and get excited because we won ... let’s talk about getting there and how to stay there.
“The good thing is that we are going on the road (to Chippa) we have been brilliant on the road. At home, no. When you go on the road, people play, they have to attack you and you have space behind them.”
Sundowns, indeed, have rather bizarre statistics in the league this season, winning all five of their away games so far, but losing all three of their home games.
Wits, meanwhile, travel to Maritzburg United on Tuesday, with their chances of successfully defending their title fast fading.