Lethal Downs take aim at Bucs
MAMELODI Sundowns are on the cusp of catching a wave that has the appearance of becoming a colossus. Orlando Pirates are swimming against the current to avoid that wave crashing down on them.
It is not quite the holidays yet. Before South Africans head off in search of a beach to crack open a beer on, there is the small matter of Mamelodi Sundowns versus Orlando Pirates today at Loftus Versfeld to savour in this weekend s last round of Absa Premiership games before the Christmas break.
After their CAF Confederation Cup final heroics, Pirates are rested from the break in the league that aided the SA under-23 team in reaching the Rio Olympics, though with players and coach Eric Tinkler under pressure to claw their way out of 12th place in the PSL.
Pitso Mosimane s grin after Wednesday s 3-1 Telkom Knockout final deconstruction of Kaizer Chiefs in Durban on Wednesday said it all.
Mosimane became the first South African to win all four trophies, but said a first cup final victory for Downs over Chiefs was the greater personal achievement.
Trophy under the belt, the Sundowns coach can afford not to break a sweat.
Downs have gone 10 league and cup matches unbeaten and scored 27 goals. Six players scored in a 6-1 thrashing of Free State Stars on the way to the Telkom final. Three more a defender, midfielder and striker scored once there. Hlompo Kekana, the grafter and unsung scoring hero of the final, cautioned second-placed Downs have not nailed down catching their wave just yet.
I wouldn t say we re running away with anything. It s only the 12th match and there s still a lot of football left in this league, the defensive midfielder said.
The Sundowns juggernaut of years gone by suffered from bruised egos of benched superstars. Mosimane established harmony, winning the 2013-14 PSL title. There was a similar keyed-up energy coming off the bench from Teko Modise and Anthony Laffor at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Wednesday.
We are dealing with professionals. Most of the players are internationals. We understand the value of the team, and I think we ve set our goals well and know the meaning of teamwork. We care about the result, not who plays,” Kekana said.
Comparisons can be made to the Brazilians great trophy rivals of the past two seasons, Chiefs under Stuart Baxter.
In Baxter s first season, Chiefs won a league and cup double looking decent, they won nothing the next, then were unstoppable winning another double last season.
Downs won the league in Mosimane s first season, were less convincing in the Nedbank Cup last season, and now look very dangerous.
But Pirates have African pedigree and hardness gained from reaching two continental finals in three years. They also have quality.
Burgeoning midfield talent Gift Motupa has had a heady month. The 21-year-old replaced suspended Thandani Ntshumayelo to start in the 1-0 away defeat in the Confed final against Etoile Du Sahel in Sousse (Bucs lost 2-1 on aggregate). Then he flew to Senegal to play a key role in Owen da Gama s team s thirdplaced finish in the under-23 Africa Cup of Nations.
We had a great rest, but in this break, we ve also worked hard preparing for this game,” Motupa said.
We re hungry to catch up in the league.”
Motupa played a part in two results that saw South African football end 2015 with a sense of optimism Bucs run to another continental final, and the under23s Olympic qualification.
TODAY S OTHER PSL MATCHES: University of Pretoria vs SuperSport United (Tuks Stadium, 3.30pm); Platinum Stars vs Maritzburg United (Royal Bafokeng Stadium, 3.30pm).