Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso says he will not take past results into consideration when the Brazilians face title chasers Orlando Pirates at Loftus Stadium on Saturday.
Pirates have rather dominated the defending league champions in recent seasons.
And after last week’s Soweto derby, this top-of-the-table encounter is surely the most crucial, with a lot bearing on the result.
“The match will go a long way in deciding the fate of the 2024/2025 Betway Premiership title, said Cardoso.
I only focus on our team
“A win for Sundowns will cement their place at the top of the league table, and a loss for the Buccaneers will make it difficult for them to keep up the pace with the Brazilians.
“We are trying to see which players can be available. We just came from the match against SuperSport United, and that was a very big result for us.
“The next game is the most important one, but it will be a similar procedure and approach as in the previous matches.”
He continued: “I only focus on our team; I do not care about what happened in the past. It’s a new page, and our team is different. It is important how we approach the game, and we need to pass that message to our players.
“It’s just another football match, three points at stake, and whatever happens, does not close or open the league championship. These are two balanced teams that have their qualities—two different teams that want to win for sure.
“The match will have different moments, and I hope we can play a good game of football that can highlight SA football. I would like it to be broadcast to the world so that they can see it.
“Competition is very tight, and we will rotate players if we must. It’s important for a coach to have solutions and understand the qualities of his players.”
The Portugal-born coach explained that there were still many matches to go before the end of the season.
I am not thinking about the past
He said: “Everybody is aware that a positive result for us, a victory, would give us a good advantage, a draw would give a three-point advantage to us, and it will also depend on the matches that Pirates still must play.
“A defeat would put us in a similar number of points or three points ahead of Pirates. The league championship will continue no matter what happens in this match.
“Most teams will still achieve results — there’s also the second-round match to play against Pirates. As I understand, we can still lose points in many games.
“In terms of mental approach, there is no pressure; it’s like in other matches. Like I said, I am not thinking about the past and will not focus on the past; we have played tough matches, and we did not put extra pressure on the players.
“It’s clear; the players get pressure from the media, friends, and families about the games.”
