MOSIMANE BLAMES FESTIVE BREAK FOR DEFEAT
MAMELODI Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane is putting his team’s 3-2 defeat against Polokwane City at the Peter Mokaba Stadium on Saturday down to the disruption to what had been an in-form team by the Absa Premiership’s Christmas break.
Downs remain leaders of the PSL on 28 points from 15 matches as they take on Ajax Cape Town at the Cape Town Stadium tonight (kickoff: 7.30pm).
But they will hope to bounce back for a win against Ajax – now under Muhsin Ertugral‚ who replaced Stanley Menzo during the PSL recess – to extend a one-point lead over second-placed Cape Town City (27 points from 16 games) to four.
After George Lebese gave Downs a thirdminute lead against City‚ the Brazilians should have closed the game with four more clear one-on-one chances in the first half on Saturday‚ but they spurned three to Percy Tau and one to Themba Zwane.
Polokwane grabbed the lead with 58thand 59th-minute goals by Sammy Seabi and Walter Musona before Oupa Manyisa equalised in the 65th.
Rodney Ramagalela banged in an 80thminute winner for City.
“Two different halves in terms of opportunities. Two goals in one minute – it’s football‚” Mosimane said afterwards.
“They wanted it more than us [and] were hungrier. We’re not yet back from the break.”
Sundowns’ defeats on either side of the break – they lost 1-0 at home to Cape Town City on December 19 – reeled in a run of form that had seen the Brazilians win five out of six unbeaten matches.
This has opened up the PSL race again‚ and a defeat against Ajax‚ who began under Ertugral with a 2-1 home defeat against Maritzburg United on Friday night‚ would encourage the chasing pack even further.
Meanwhile, South Africa international Thabo Cele has returned to Real SC in Portugal’s second tier on loan from Benfica.
Cele‚ 20, a product of the KwaZulu-Natal Academy and a player who made his senior national team debut in the Cosafa Cup last year‚ returns to the club where he made his name in the 2016-17 campaign.
He made 24 appearances for the side in that season‚ helping them to promotion and winning a five-year contract with Benfica‚ impressed with his rich potential.
He had been playing for the Benfica B side‚ also in the Portuguese second tier‚ this season‚ making six appearances‚ but will now be given the chance to further his development back at Real.
Cele was also part of the South African side that competed at the U20 World Cup in South Korea last year, featuring in all three matches. – TimesLIVE