Mamelodi Sundowns will be hoping to take advantage of their rescheduled fixture against Chippa United and to elbow Orlando Pirates from the top of the Betway Premiership tonight.
The defending champions will face the Chilli Boys at Loftus Versfeld Stadium and the Good Friday match will start at 7:30pm. The match was brought forward at the request of the Brazilians, who have a hectic fixture schedule.
Sundowns will play another league match against Durban City on Tuesday. They are still involved in the CAF Champions League, and after the City match, they will be travelling to Tunisia and will be facing Esperance in the semifinals next weekend.
Cat-and-mouse title chase
Sundowns and log leaders Orlando Pirates are involved in a cat-and-mouse chase at the top of the league table. The Buccaneers are leading the charts with 51 points after 22 matches, and Sundowns are breathing heavily down their necks and have a slight advantage of one game in hand. The defending league champions have amassed 50 points after 21 rounds of matches.
Sundowns are pretty much aware that they cannot avoid slipping up and dropping points, especially at home and against a club that is struggling to find its rhythm and mojo. Chippa have not recorded a single league win in four matches, and the last time they tasted victory was way back in February when they nailed Richards Bay 3-0 in East London. It is by no mistake that they are languishing in the relegation zone and are lying precariously in 13th spot on the PSL log table.
Bucs lose steam
Recently, Pirates were cruising nicely at the top, hammering opponents like it was going out of fashion, until they were held to a 1-1 draw and dropped two points against Siwelele FC at their slaughterhouse in Orlando – all of a sudden, it was advantage Sundowns. After the Siwelele disappointment, Pirates sent a statement of intent when they ravaged TS Galaxy 6-0 in Mbombela. Pirates’ next league match is on Tuesday when they host Lamontville Golden Arrows at home.
Tough encounter
Sundowns red-hot striker Iqraam Rayners said that he was anticipating a very tough encounter. “It is always going to be a difficult one because when it approaches the end of the season, it is always difficult to play against teams that are at the bottom of the log because they are fighting for their jobs, for their lives and for their families. For us, it is not going to be easy and we must keep up with the momentum, win our games and take it one game at a time,” Rayners added.
- Mamelodi Sundowns will play a rescheduled match against Chippa United at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Good Friday, aiming to overtake Orlando Pirates atop the Betway Premiership.
- Sundowns have a congested schedule, including a league match against Durban City and a CAF Champions League semifinal against Esperance in Tunisia next weekend.
- Orlando Pirates currently lead the league with 51 points after 22 games, while Sundowns have 50 points with one game in hand, making the title race highly competitive.
- Chippa United is struggling, sitting 13th in the table with no league wins in their last four matches, while Pirates recently dropped points against Sekhukhune United but bounced back with a 6-0 win over TS Galaxy.
- Sundowns striker Iqraam Rayners expects a tough match against Chippa, emphasizing the difficulty of playing lower-ranked teams fighting relegation late in the season.
