Phoney war over, it’s the real thing
When Pitso Mosimane pays so much attention to another team – or to correct that – when he pays so much attention to having a niggle at them at every opportunity, then it is probably safe to assume he is more than a little worried about them.
As such, Kaizer Chiefs should really take heed every time Mosimane mentions them in a post-match interview, and attempts to belittle their importance or achievments, as a compliment to just how well they are doing in the 2019/20 campaign. Coach Ernst Middendorp, for me, got a little too unnecessarily rattled, ahead of the Shell Helix Cup, after Mosimane had noted certain refereeing decisions that had gone Chiefs’ way in Absa Premiership matches this season.
Amakhosi, however, responded the right way on the field, giving Sundowns a 4-0 first-half hammering at the FNB Stadium, which had to be embarrassing for Mosimane however irrelevant the fixture is in the grander scheme. The only problem for Middendorp is that he must now hope his team can move on from the phoney war, and win the real battle, when Chiefs take on Sundowns in the Absa Premiership on Sunday.
Mosimane has already dropped another psychological card, in claiming this weekend his team don’t have to beat Kaizer Chiefs to win the league which is, of course, mathematically correct, but also bears the markings of another sly dig at a team he feels seriously threatened by.
Sundowns bounced back from that Shell Helix Cup defeat by drubbing AmaZulu in the Telkom Knockout on Sunday, an emphatic display and a show of force that almost seemed to scream “HEY CHIEFS, WE KNOW WHICH COMPETITIONS ARE ACTUALLY IMPORTANT!”
If Sundowns can beat Highlands Park tomorrow, and move within two points of Chiefs at the top of the league, we can no doubt expect more gems from Mosimane in the build up to Sunday’s encounter at Loftus Versfeld. Middendorp might throw a few barbs of his own, but Chiefs would probably be better simply on concentrating on the task at hand, and they are certainly proving more adept at this than in other recent seasons.
Chiefs’ sheer force of will came to the surface again on Saturday as they found a way past Cape Town City in the Telkom Knockout, though it is fair to say that they will only really satisfy the appetite of their supporters when a piece of meaningful silverware (and yes, Shell Helix Cup, I am looking at you with a nonchalant shrug of the shoulders) lands in the trophy cabinet.
Chiefs can make a real statement that this could even be the league title on Sunday, if they can beat Sundowns on their own patch. Sundowns, for me, still have the squad depth to make them clear favourites for the title, even with their crazy fixture schedule, another of Mosimane’s favourite topics of conversation, which is more hectic than any other South African team thanks to the Caf Champions League.
It all makes for a cracking match on Sunday, and I don’t expect Mosimane to be even as close to magnanimous as he was after the Shell Helix Cup, if Sundowns are beaten. Then we might see some real vitriol from the Sundowns head coach, as the title race tension goes up another notch.
Whoever you support, it all makes for exciting viewing, and it will be interesting to see if Sundowns can keep their minds on tomorrow’s game against Owen da Gama’s dangerous Lions of the North, with the epic at Loftus just a few days away.