Intriguing Tshwane derby battle
Title eliminator? Not just yet as Sundowns, Super Boys face-off
IT is far from being an Absa Premiership title eliminator, but tonight’s Tshwane derby between Mamelodi Sundowns and SuperSport United has a lot riding on it. On the one corner you have a side desperate to end a winless streak of five matches and also missing key players as fatigue creeps in for the Brazilians, while on the other corner their cross-town rivals hold the unwanted record of being the team with the highest number of draws this season out of all the championship contenders.
The speculation surrounding the future of SuperSport coach Stuart Baxter, who has been approached by Safa to take over the vacant Bafana Bafana job, has also turned into an annoying distraction.
Kick-off: 7.30pm Venue: Loftus Versfeld Last season: Sundowns beat SuperSport 2-0 home and away
Sundowns Strength
Even with Wayne Arendse, Tiyani Mabunda and Sibusiso Vilakazi out injured, the reigning champions still posses some heavy artillery. Following their unexpected Nedbank Cup exit last weekend when they lost 1-0 to Golden Arrows, coach Pitso Mosimane rebuffed suggestions that the Brazilians were perhaps too tired to compete. He argued that they were creating chances and just needed to catch a break in the coming weeks to breath life into their title charge. They usually come alive against SuperSport.
Weakness
It is almost unimaginable to point this out given their options, but what has contributed to the slump is, among other things, poor finishing. They were held to a goalless draw by Polokwane City, played to a 1-1 stalemate away to Kampala City Council in the CAF Champions League, beaten 2-1 by Kaizer Chiefs and unable to score when they welcomed Bloemfontein Celtic to the Lucas Moripe Stadium. These were winnable games had Sundowns been sharper upfront.
SuperSport United Strength
They have conceded the least number of goals all season if Sundowns, with two games in hand, aren’t factored into the equation. Some of the games they drew could have gone in favour of the opposition had their defence not been so solid. And they will be confident that they can maintain that level of consistency given their Tshwane counterparts have been goal-shy lately. It is a department that will probably only improve in the final weeks of the championship race with Tefu Mashamaite starting to get game time after his long injury lay-off. Matsatsantsa also have a bit more sting upfront than Sundowns being the league’s third-highest goal scorers.
Weakness
Baxter has used the word “poor” more than he’d like when describing his side’s performance after several of their matches this season. Even as they remained unbeaten in 19 league matches – until they were shocked by relegation candidates Baroka FC earlier this month – the coach was often far from convinced. It speaks to their inconsistency and perhaps even a lack of killer instinct. If SuperSport had managed to win just half of the 10 matches they have drawn, it is easy to conclude they’d be runaway league leaders. With the distraction of the CAF Confederation Cup and their desire to defend the Nedbank Cup, it’s unlikely they will find the steadiness they need and could end up with one of the trophies, but not all of them.