Mamelodi Sundowns will be gunning for revenge when they visit Cape Town City in the Absa Premiership on Friday night at Athlone Stadium. Kick-off is at 8pm, live on Supersport and live streaming through DStvNow.
Coach Pitso Mosimane will want to stun the Citizens who are enjoying a fine run of form against the Brazilians since last season.
Heading to this clash, Sundowns drew 0-0 against Kaizer Chiefs in the league last weekend and will want to extend their lead at the top.
To many, this will be a top of the table clash as the hosts are also hoping to claim a win and narrow the gap on the Tshwane side.
Sundowns lead the table with 35 points from 19 matches.
After City claimed a 1-0 win at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in the first round, Sundowns will now be boosted by the arrival of Aubrey Ngoma from the Citizens. Looking at the hosts, they bagged a 1-1 draw against Bloemfontein Celtic last weekend and will want to go all out for a win at home.
Sitting at the second spot on the log table with 31 points means City have an opportunity to close the gap at home.
Previous starting XI:
Cape Town City: Stephens, Mkhize, Johannes, Fielies, Seedat, Putsche, Nodada, Modise, Lakay, Patosi, Nana
Mamelodi Sundowns: Onyango, Madisha, Nascimento, Soumahoro, Langerman, Manyisa, Kekana, Mabunda, Billiat, Vilakazi, Tau
Head to head:
ALL LEAGUE RESULTS
Season Result Scorers
2016/17 Sundowns 1-2 CTC Nthethe; Manyama 2
2016/17 CTC 1-0 Sundowns Manyama
2017/18 Sundowns 0-1 CTC Akosah-Bempah
What the teams are saying
Cape Town City midfielder Teko Modise: “It is a very important game, they are on top of the log and we are a few points behind,” said Modise.
“The aim and ambition is to try and minimise the points between us and the first position, that’s why it is going to be important for us to get a good result against Sundowns even though we know the qualities that they have.
“We are also a very good team with so much ambition but on the day whoever wants it more will win the game.
“We are playing very well, but one thing that is disappointing is that we are not scoring as many goals as we are supposed to and hopefully on the day we can cause an upset.”
Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane: “It’s going to be a difficult one, especially because they’ve beaten us in the last three outings,” said Mosimane.
“We’ve got to respect that fact, be humble and not try to aim for revenge, because if you do that you become a little emotional.
“We should look at the log situation – if you don’t win you must keep the distance the same. But the pressure is on them to maintain their consistency in beating us. We’ve got nothing to lose.
“They do well against us. When they see us they play a different game. I saw (Bloemfontein) Celtic were all over them in the second half on Sunday, Free State Stars did exceptionally well against them and Maritzburg United.
“So I’m asking myself if they save the best for us. But we have to do what we have to do.”
Key players for Cape Town City:
Robyn Johannes: The trusted centre back is key for the hosts as they want to challenge for the league honours. He provides steel and leadership at the back for the Citizens and will want to stop his former bosses.
Teko Modise: Modise is another former Sundowns player at City. His silky touches and ability to dictate the pace of the game will come in handy for the team as they want a win.
Key players for Mamelodi Sundowns:
Denis Onyango: As the last line of defence, Onyango is the man stopping most of their opponent’s moves. He was in fine form last weekend against Chiefs and his ability to read the game will be crucial on Friday.
Percy Tau: Tau is the man who leads Sundowns’ attacks and will want to cause all troubles for their hosts. On the other hand, he will want to add a goal or two to his tally to challenge for the top scorer award.
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