Staff Reporter.
Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns are set to meet in a PSL clash at Orlando Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Kick-off is at 3pm CAT. (SA, GMT+2).
Both teams are unbeaten after four rounds, although both teams have been far from convincing. In their last outing, Sundowns battled in the first half against TS Galaxy. It was only after halftime when Galaxy blundered with team changes that Sundowns managed to assert themselves.
Pirates, on the other hand, have managed two draws. Their defence has not inspired confidence. Pirates have conceded three goals after four games. It is in stark contrast to Sundowns, who have yet to concede a goal this season.
Sundowns will have a psychological edge over Pirates this weekend having thrashed the Soweto giants in their last meeting just four months ago.
Sundowns co-coach Manqoba Mngqithi has urged his players to go for the win against Pirates as the team seeks to reach their points target for the opening block of five games in the season.
“We’ve emphasised on taking care of the process, and the process is the number of points we want to achieve in each cycle,” says Mngqithi. “Whoever happens to become an opponent in that space, we focus on that so that we achieve our desired targets and get the points we’re looking for.
“Pirates is that team that must give us that points that can help us to achieve our ultimate target. So the issue of anxiety, we have tried to clear that by focusing more on the process and making sure that everybody understands three points is the same, be it [against] Pirates, Baroka or TS Galaxy.”
Meanwhile Orlando Pirates interim co-coach Mandla Ncikazi said “It’s important to have a consistent XI. Teams that win championships have a consistent XI. If it’s possible and there are no injuries, we’d love to keep the same team going forward. We want to be consistent but sometimes injuries force us into situations that we don’t want to be in. Pirates have been very unlucky with injuries lately.”
He added, “I am happy for Tshegofatso Mabasa for playing two games and scoring in both games. More is to come from him. Without jumping the gun, I think he should start the next match. There’s growth in the team. It is very minimal in the eyes of the other people but in our eyes it’s growth. We prophesied that if the team is this united, we will win.”
In head-to-head stats, Sundowns and Pirates have met in 73 league matches since 1985. The Brazilians have claimed 32 wins compared to 21 for the Buccaneers, while 20 games have been drawn. The Soweto side has won 11 of 36 home matches in the rivalry, suffering 17 defeats in the process.