Mauracio Affonso’s late strike Wednesday night against Highlands Park in Pretoria delivered Mamelodi Sundowns within touch (by 2 points) behind log-leaders Kaizer Chiefs (with 19 points) at the top of the league table. A win for the latter against Sundowns this coming Sunday opens up a 5-point gap. Their [Chiefs] upcoming duel with Sundowns is a spellbinding high-class match no team will not love to win. Though Mosimane does not see a Sundowns-Chiefs game as bigger than the sum total of the PSL, both clubs will rue total collapse on a day.
The two Gauteng Province-based PSL juggernauts meet in the Absa Premiership first-round-league tie on October 27, 2019 at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Hatfield, east of the capital city.
Tuesday night at Lucas Moripe Stadium, Sundowns late (90+2′) winner placed them in a comfortable position two (2) with 17 points and a game in hand.
Mauracio Affonso is beginning to make scoring a habit for the Chloorkop based-club. His dexterous left-foot curler in referee’s optional time left Highlands Park goalkeeper Thela Ngobeni flailing in despair as the wonder strike bulged the back of the net to the chagrin of his coach, Owen Da Gama.
The superb layoff by the brilliant Mamelodi Sundowns middlefielder Themba “Mshishi” Zwane made it look a simple but pinpoint whip by Affonso. His [Zwane’s] defense-splitting pass riled Highlands Park coach after his players fended off the penetrating Pretorians for the whole scheduled 90 minutes.
The late goal conceded by the Lions of the North got Da Gama so livid he suggested that some of his players should go and play in the National First Division (NFD) for caving in under pressure with a minute remaining to end the mid-week league game. Needless to say coach Da Gama would have been pleased with a point away from home but it slipped and Sundowns, the home side, gathered (three) maximum points.
The defending champions [Sundowns] are the only Premiership side without a loss since the inception of the 2019/2020 in season in August.
Going to the Sunday game brimming with confidence, they will play host to Soweto giants Kaizer Chiefs. Should Masandawana emerge victors Oct. 27, they will unseat and edge out Amakhosi with a point and a game to spare.
Chiefs begun the season spectacularly; hence they are currently holding the golden torch looking down the PSL log lower-rungs with a suppressed glee, for now. Up to this point, Amakhosi have lost (1-0) one league game to Polokwane City on the 14th of September.
Nevertheless, Chiefs are getting the results they could only dream of in the past four dry seasons. Their efforts behind the scenes are starting to show greenshoots. And Amakhosi players too, are starting to believe in the new technical team.
Casting his eyes onto the weekend’s massive (15:30) clash in Tshwane, Mosimane said after the 5-0 goal rout to Amazulu on Oct. 20, and the recent Highlands 1-0 that Sundowns do not have to beat Chiefs to win the league, moreso with one game advantage in hand. Will the Chiefs coach Ernest Middendorp and his charges fall for the bait before the Sunday face-off?
Although Mosimane is factually correct, is he playing mind games? Whatever the response, he profoundly knows the symbolism of sinking gigantic rivals of Chiefs’ pedigree.
If ever there was a definitive hope to give Middendorp an inkling to sniff the championship title at the end of the 2019/2020 Absa Premiership edition, the Sunday-Sundowns date could not have been a better proposition.
Halfway through the 1st-round of the elite league in the PSL – Sundowns have played seven (7) and Chiefs eight (8) games – does their game have the earth-shattering attributes to be a potential crowning-championship indicator? Maybe, just maybe, it came too soon.
OTHER ABSA PREMIERSHIP FIXTURES:
Friday Oct. 25, 2019
SuperSport United vs Black Leopards – 20:00 at Lucas Moripe Stadium
Cape Town City FC vs Maritzburg United – 20:00 at Cape Town Stadium
Saturday Oct. 26, 2019
Stellenbosch FC vs Orlando Pirates – 15:30 at Cape Town Stadium
Golden Arrows vs Polokwane City – 15:30 at Sugar Ray Xulu Stadium
Highlands Park vs Chippa United – 20:15 at Makhulong Stadium
Sunday Oct. 27, 2019
Baroka FC vs AmaZulu FC – 15:30 at Peter Mokaba Stadium