Staff Reporter.
Mamelodi Sundowns will battle it out with Stellenbosch FC in a DStv Premiership match at the Absa Tuks Stadium on Saturday.
Having already been crowned league champions, Sundowns extended their unbeaten run to five matches across all competitions when they drew 1-1 with Kaizer Chiefs in a league clash away on May 8.
Sundowns’ lead at the top of the league standings was reduced by Cape Town City after the Citizens defeated TS Galaxy on May 7 and The brazillians are now leading by 14 points with two matches left.
Grant Kekana, the Sundowns defender, is looking forward to playing at Absa Stadium where he spent two seasons turning out for the University of Pretoria and he also stated that they will play their hearts out for the brazillians fans.
“I have good memories at the Tuks stadium all three of my goals for Tuks came at that stadium and it’s been a stadium I enjoyed playing at a lot,” Kekana said.
“It will be very important to have their support. We would’ve liked to finish at home and celebrate the title with them but we’ll be away for the last game.They keep us going, they motivate us so we will be playing our hearts out for them.
“With home games now we’re able to have the majority of our supporters back so it helps with the atmosphere in the stadium.”
Meanwhile, Stellenbosch are enjoying a three-match unbeaten run in the DStv Premiership having drawn 1-1 with Maritzburg United at home on May 7 and it was their second successive draw.
Stellies are currently placed fifth on the league standings – four points behind third-placed Royal AM and a victory over Sundowns will boost the Western Cape side’s hopes of finishing in the top three.
Steve Barker, the Stellenbosch head coach, expects Sundowns to come with all guns blazing following their draw with Chiefs with the Tshwane giants set to face Marumo Gallants in the Nedbank Cup final on May 28.
“As a team, they will want to keep momentum. They have got a big Nedbank Cup final coming up and I do anticipate that they want to go into that match in good form,” Barker said.
“One must not forget that they are coming off a draw against Kaizer Chiefs and they are a team that doesn’t go without winning a game in two [matches]. So, they will definitely be a formidable opponent.
“They are the type of team, with the depth that they have, that even if they do rest some players, the players that they do bring in will also be of real quality.”