In another Betway Premiership blockbuster clash involving Kaizer Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns on Wednesday, football fans are left divided.
This fixture is already declared a sold-out affair as the Premier Soccer League and both clubs announced on Monday. In a twist of events, Amakhosi fans said they can settle for a defeat as that will allow Masandawana to stretch their lead at the summit of the table.
This comes as Orlando Pirates cruised nicely on Tuesday night at Athlone Stadium in Cape Town, beating the Gavin Hunt-coached Stellenbosch FC 2-0.
Checking out the log standings, the Buccaneers narrowed the gap to two points; both Sundowns and Pirates have played 27 matches, but if Miguel Cardoso’s men beat Chiefs, they will stretch the lead by five points.
As bitter rivals, Chiefs fans took to various social media channels to send a message: they will not support Pirates, play to a draw, and go all out for a victory at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Wednesday night. The reason is simple: they jokingly said they want peaceful nights, as the former African giants will make noise should they successfully topple Sundowns as league champions at the end of the campaign.
Sundowns vs Chiefs: Words From The Camps:
Ahead of the eagerly anticipated encounter, Chiefs are still licking their wounds after their loss to Siwelele away from home last week. Addressing the media, midfielder Thabo Cele said they will bring a winning mentality to the Tshwane giants.
“If you look at recent history, they [Sundowns] have been the team that’s dominating the league in terms of winning trophies, so they want to do it again, especially because now there’s someone who’s competing with them, our rivals, Orlando Pirates,” Cele said about their CAF Confederation Cup ambitions.
“We are also getting closer and closer [to competing for the championship], so things are interesting for South African football at this moment. Of course, they [Sundowns] want to clinch this title again, but we might spoil the party for them. We are also on our journey, so [Wednesday’s game] is a game we want to win.”
On behalf of this season’s Champions League finalists, defender Grant Kekana made it clear they cannot afford to underestimate the Soweto giants. The seasoned Bafana Bafana international downplayed their visitors’ struggles. He expects a tough encounter, adding that the Chiefs are enjoying good form of late.
This is despite Sundowns being fresh from two successive victories over Polokwane City, whom they beat last week and on Sunday afternoon. Formerly on the books of SuperSport United and University of Pretoria, Kekana didn’t hide that the team’s morale has been boosted after recording two back-to-back wins against Rise and Shne.
“The confidence is back up with the lads, obviously, we want to finish strong. We are all in good spirits, and we can’t wait for Wednesday’s game,” Kekana said to the media.
“It’s going to be a tough game. I think they [Chiefs] have done well, especially in the second round, to be in a position they are in. So despite them having lost [2-0] against Siwelele, we know that they have been in good form of late.”
This clash is expected to produce fireworks, considering that Amakhosi want to reach the 50-point mark for the first time in five seasons and also aim to finish third. They have collected 47 points from 26 league outings so far.
At the same time, Sundowns look to consolidate their spot at the top of the log table – the game gets underway at 19:30 (CAT).
