Key battles in the Pirates vs Sundowns clash

THERE is a train station just before Orlando Stadium. Like that station, Orlando Pirates will look to stop the runaway train that is Mamelodi Sundowns when the Brazilians pay them a visit tonight. Njabulo Ngidi looks at three key battles from the clash.

Best attack v shaky defence

As far as comparisons go, this will be like Mike Tyson in his prime coming up against a kid who can barely put on his gloves. It could end disastrously for the Buccaneers.

Or it could be motivation to upset the odds and stun a club that has gone 18 matches unbeaten and an attack that has scored 35 goals in the Absa Premiership, while Pirates have gone three games without a defeat.

Eric Tinkler believes their two wins against University of Pretoria and Ajax Cape Town were a turning point.

Sundowns will have a lot to say about that, when they come up against a defence that, with captain Thabo Matlaba suspended, will be changed once again .

Goalkeepers’ battle within their clubs

The battle for a place in the Sundowns starting XI is so intense, especially in the goalkeeping department, it would make even atheists search for divine intervention.

Luckily for Wayne Sandilands, his faith is the cornerstone of his life, but, unluckily for the keeper, he is fighting for a place in the squad with the in-form Dennis Onyango.

“It’s about Sundowns at the end of the day,” Sandilands said. “I am an employee of an organisation. I have to be ready and pull my weight whenever I am called upon because at the end of the day it is about the collective, and not an individual.

“That’s where I draw my inspiration and where my focus is at. My faith in the Lord also keeps me going. What He has taught me is that this is about the collective. It is about being humble, and when called upon, try to make sure that the team wins.”

The team won when he was called upon on Sunday, even though he conceded 80 seconds into the match. If Onyango is fit, the Ugandan will start ahead of Sandilands. If not, coach Pitso Mosimane will not risk him with their CAF Champions League campaign starting on Saturday.

It’s a bit different at Pirates where the No 1 spot is still up for grabs, even though Brighton Mhlongo has been the preferred first choice. It’s a competition that will push whichever man is between the posts.

Mental battle

To an extent, the Buccaneers are struggling because of the toll that participating in the CAF Confederation Cup took on them when they went all the way to the final last year, before losing to Tunisian side Etoile du Sahel.

Sundowns, on other hand, didn’t have such commitments after they were eliminated early in the Champions League by eventual winners TP Mazembe.

Patrice Carteron, who led Mazembe to continental glory, said Sundowns were the toughest side they had faced in that campaign. That, along with Mosimane’s desire to be an African champion, will motivate the Brazilians when they start their campaign on Saturday.

That’s why the club will look to create a big cushion between themselves and the chasing pack before things get hectic in the Champions League, although it won’t be that bad as only the qualifying rounds will be played between now and May.

The Buccaneers want to continue clawing their way to the top eight, with Tinkler targeting finishing better than last season’s fourth place, which would guarantee the side continental football next year.