Mamelodi Sundowns coach Rhulani Mokwena says they will keep on pushing to maintain their healthy lead at the summit of the DSTV Premiership log.
Sundowns will visit fourth-placed Kaizer Chiefs at the FNB Stadium on Saturday evening. All 16 Premier Soccer League teams will be in action this weekend.
Despite enjoying a 14-point lead on the log, Mamelodi Sundowns coach says more work still needs to be done if they are to win their sixth league title in a row. They visit a wounded Kaizer Chiefs at the FNB Stadium.
Many have already tipped Sundowns to retain their league title, but the Pretoria-based side does not want to fall into a trap.
Mokwena says there are still a lot of matches to be played this season, and Sundowns cannot afford to rest on their laurels.
“No league has been won in January; I am consistent in my statement. It’s a statement I say in the confines of our meeting rooms with the players where I’m always honest with them and they know. Because I say it to them I can say it to you guys and they know that there’s no league that has ever been won in January,” says Mokwena.
Chiefs are still winless this year but Mokwena maintains Amakhosi cannot be taken lightly. But they haven’t scored a goal in two games, having conceded five.
“Chiefs will always be Kaizer Chiefs a big club historically it needs to be given a lot of respect, great players on the pitch, maybe even performances have been even much better than the results suggests. So based on it, if you look only at the score lines like Amazulu you get probably a wrong impression about the team and very good players with a good coach and a good technical team around them,” Mokwena explains.
Mokwena says Sundowns must just have a better game plan than their opponents.
“We have to go in there and play the game the way the game will want us to play it and we will always try to be better than the opponent. Always trying to have the better chances, always trying to have a better profile on the pitch so that’s what we will always try to do,” Mokwena reiterates.
VIDEO: Chiefs host Sundowns on Saturday
On the other hand Kaizer Chiefs captain, Itumeleng Khune says they need to make use of their home-ground advantage this weekend. And, he has urged the club’s supporters to rally behind the team.
“We are going to host Mamelodi Sundowns at FNB and we urge our supporters to come in numbers and rally behind the team because without them we are nothing. We told ourselves that this season we won’t let any opponent come to the FNB and walk away with three points. Like I’m saying we are disappointed that first game of the year against Sekhukhune we let them off the hook and shouldn’t happen based on the agreement that we’ve made as a team,” says Khune.
Khune admits that they have been let down by poor finishing in most of their matches so far this season.
“We play good football, we take the game to our opponents but we get disappointed when we get in front of goals because if you have to look at the stats, the first half only sometimes we create more than nine chances but we will only hit the target once and that’s something that needs to change. I don’t think being given the price tag that we are underdogs will affect us in our preparations,” Khune added.
In other matches taking place on Saturday, Golden Arrows host Maritzburg United in a KwaZulu Natal derby. On Sunday, Orlando Pirates will be at home to the struggling Stellenbosch FC with third-placed SuperSport United hosting second-placed Richards Bay FC.
