City primed to bring Downs back to earth
It’s probably best time to be playing Champions League winners, says Tinkler
MAMELODI SUNDOWNS will have to quickly step off the euphoric cloud nine they are on and prepare for the bread-andbutter issues of local PSL football. Such are the demands of success in modern football that after reaching the pinnacle of continental achievement by being crowned African champions, Sundowns will be back in action just a day after arriving back in the country.
The champion Pretoria club touched down in Johannesburg from Egypt to a veritable hero’s welcome yesterday.
Tonight, they host Polokwane City in the first round of the Telkom Knockout in Atteridgeville and, on Sunday, they tackle Cape Town City in a PSL fixture at Loftus (3pm kickoff ). That’s the thing about success and achievement in sport – it lasts for just a while, and then the next challenge is already on the way. For Sundowns, their advantage is that they have a strong squad, and the depth they have is frightening.
Often, PSL coaches have remarked that the players who sit on the bench or even in stands at Downs are capable of making the starting team at any other club.
Well, that opinion will now be put to the test. Rest assured, the Caf Champions League winners are the target of every team they will face going forward.
Everybody will want to beat them – that, of course, is but another spin-off successful sides have to deal with.
City coach Eric Tinkler already has his squad primed and fired up to bring Sundowns back down to earth on Sunday.
Having steered Orlando Pirates to the final of Caf Confederation Cup last year, Tinkler knows how difficult participation in a continental inter-club competition is.
He has passed on his congratulations to Sundowns and their coach Pitso Mosimane, but that’s where the niceties end. Now, all Tinkler and his men want to do is take down the African champions.
With the travel and the mental strain the Brazilians have been under over the last few weeks, together with the joy experienced after winning the Champions League, Tinkler is hoping to find the opposition a bit jaded and recovering from the hangover of their triumph.
“With Sundowns playing on Thursday as well, I’m not too sure which team will be selected to play us on Sunday,” said Tinkler.
“But they’ll still be feeling the effects of that great victory… and that means it’s probably the best time to be playing Sundowns. It will be tough because they have got a good squad, but we’ll be motivated and up for the challenge.”
City haven’t been in the best of form of late. After a first home defeat to Baroka FC two weeks ago and then a scrappy extratime victory over Bloemfontein Celtic, Tinkler is fully aware that his team will have to show a vast improvement if they This week’s fixtures Telkom Knockout first round Tonight: Mamelodi Sundowns v Polokwane City PSL Tomorrow: Maritzburg United v Golden Arrows; Chippa United v Platinum Stars are to come away with something at Loftus.
“We lost points at home in our last league game and now we have to make up for that with a performance on the road,” he said. “Our problem is in the final third, Saturday: Orlando Pirates v Kaizer Chiefs; Ajax Cape Town v SuperSport United (Cape Town Stadium, 8.15pm); Bloemfontein Celtic v Wits Sunday: Mamelodi Sundowns v Cape Town City (Loftus, 3.30pm); Baroka FC v Polokwane City; Highlands Park v Free State Stars where we just aren’t creating enough. In the cup match against Celtic, I was happy with the way our defensive work improved, but, going forward, we still have a lot of work to do.”