Sundowns aim to topple Pirates
After a pulsating 3-2 semifinal first leg clash, Mamelodi Sundowns will want to overturn the loss when they host Orlando Pirates at Loftus Stadium on Sunday.
The match takes place on Sunday afternoon, kick-off is at 15h00.
The first leg has been described by many as the game of the season so far in South Africa, with Pirates coming from 2-1 down to win 3-2.
The Pirates goals came from Thulasizwe Mbuyane, Tlou Segolela and Bongani Ndulula while Katlego Mphela and Musa Nyatama were the med that made it count for Downs.
Pirates have now beaten Sundowns in four successive matches. They beat them in two league games and a Nedbank Cup first round tie last season, as well as last week’s MTN8 clash.
In-form midfielder Musa Nyatama will be inspired by his call up to Bafana Bafana and Sundowns will hope he leads their charge.
Nyatama has said that the Bafana call up came at just the right time and has “boosted” his confidence ahead of the semifinal with Pirates.
In a midweek League fixture, Sundowns walloped Moroka Swallows 4-0 with Mphela scoring a brace and Nyatama and Teko Modise each netting one.
Modise has now been recalled to the Bafana team, which will surely boost his confidence going into the weekend's match.
This kind of form will no doubt give Johan Neeskens’ team a lift, even though they are 3-2 down on aggregate.
Meanwhile Pirates suffered their first defeat of the season, going down 2-1 away to Maritzburg United in their midweek Premiership tie.
Bucs seemed in control when Benni McCarthy put them ahead midway through the first half. But then he was controversially sent off for a second yellow card and Maritzburg earned a famous victory.
Bucs will want to put things right and book their place in the MTN8 Final.
Captain of the ship, Lucky Lekgwathi, believes Sundowns will be like “a wounded lion” and says his team must beware.
“We won’t go there and defend. But we’ll play our normal game. It will be dangerous for us to defend because if Sundowns score one goal they will go through. So we must play our normal game,” he told the media.
“So our game-plan will be to make sure that they don’t score and for us to get an early goal.”