After an action-packed Valentine’s Day round of exciting football matches yesterday on the continent, all eyes and attention will now be turned to the colossal clash between Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns in a Betway Premiership top-of-the-table clash on Wednesday.
Pirates will host Sundowns at the FNB Stadium in a game that will somewhat gauge how far off the two teams are from each other and perhaps even give a glimpse of how the season will likely end, depending on the result after the final whistle, of course.
The two sides have formed a strong rivalry in the past seasons, with their meeting, the second biggest game in the PSL calendar after the Soweto derby between Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs.
The Buccaneers are currently sitting on top of the standings, with Masandawana right on their heels in second position.
Unlike in previous seasons, where a phrase like “the league is gone” would be used in favour of Sundowns midway through the season, the modus operandi has not been the same this time around, as other teams have taken advantage of their slump.
Sundowns defender Grant Kekana admitted that they are no longer the same team but promised that they will turn the corner in the second half of the season. However, the Bafana Bafana international singled out Pirates as a direct threat to their throne that they want to protect at all costs for a ninth time.
“I think every season, you know, teams are going to improve, and Pirates have been improving the past two, or three seasons. They have been the ones chasing us, and I think they’re a lot closer to us now than they were a few seasons ago,” Kekana said.
“But we know ourselves, we know our standards, and we know exactly where we need to be, so we know what to do [to turn things around].
“And I think it’s just about us applying ourselves better than we have been so far this season. So, there is a change coming,” Kekana added.
That change in the league will, fortunately or unfortunately, have to start against a fiercely strong Pirates side that looks more determined than ever to challenge for every trophy up for grabs this season.
