With Orlando Pirates currently sitting with all their eggs in one basket – to challenge for the Absa Premiership honours – gaining three points against the defending champions and the league’s pacesetters, Mamelodi Sundowns, tonight at Orlando Stadium would prove invaluable.
Pirates, who are third on the log standings with 40 points, are three adrift of their visitors, the Brazilians, with only seven matches left before the curtain comes down on the league.
Both teams might be coming back from the international break, but they’ve got scores to settle considering that they both lost their last matches in their CAF Champions League campaigns.
The Sea Robbers bowed out of the competition in the group stage following a 2-1 loss to Horoya Athletic Club in Conakry, Guinea. While despite the Brazilians’ 1-0 loss to Wydad Casablanca in Morocco, they progressed to the quarter-finals of the competition – finishing second in Group A.
Pirates midfielder Luvuyo Memela, still hurting after their defeat to Horoya, believes that they have to bring a Champions League’s element into their battle with Sundowns.
Their previous meeting at Down’s home ground resulted in a 3-1 win for Bucs.
In that victory, Memela was in scoring form for the Sea Robbers, scoring the third goal to seal a famous win that was pivotal in his team’s second-place finish on the log last season.
Moreover, when he didn’t win the Man of the Match award it shocked Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane, who questioned the award’s recipient, Jackson Mabokgwane, and praised the former for an outstanding performance.
Memela missed the drawn match earlier in the season due to an injury. The big question now that he’s fully fit and has proven to be a man for the big game is: can he inspire his team to victory, and possibly a league title?
“We just need to focus (collectively) as players. We must play our normal game and not try to do too much,” Memela responded.
The last time the Brazilians’ made the short trip from Chloorkop to Soweto, it was nothing short of special. The main memory for supporters of Sundowns is probably the halfway line shot by captain Hlompo Kekana that left goalkeeper Wayne Sandilands floundering as they triumphed in a 3-1 win.