Semi-final tie could define Sundowns and Pirates’ season

Not long ago, I wrote in this column that Mamelodi Sundowns’ wobbles tell us a lot about them in these early stages of this Premier Soccer League (PSL) season.
I said the inconsistency that has plagued their season so far means now is the perfect time to play them.
I appreciate that it might be difficult to agree with that statement, given how invincible Sundowns have become in the PSL. They do indeed have the propensity to make light work of even the most decent of opponents – domestically and even on the African continent.
But I stand by my argument because the truth is that, performance-wise, they haven’t quite hit their straps, satisfactory as their results have been so far. They’re currently top of the DStv Premiership standings and are at least five points ahead of everyone else.
But it is when you watch Sundowns that you realize that they’re not yet playing at the level that they usually do.
The inconsistent results agree with this observation. This is why I’m excited that they are set to face what should be their toughest challenge yet this weekend, in Orlando Pirates in the MTN8 semi-finals.
Tomorrow’s game at the Orlando Stadium, as well the second leg in Polokwane in three weeks’ time, should be what decides if I’m being overly critical or telling it like it is. But it is not only Sundowns’ story that will be told in the tie, I believe. Pirates, under new coach José Riveiro, will surely also reveal what they’re truly about this season over the two games.
The Buccaneers have looked decent so far under the Spaniard.
They still play a fast-paced, aggressive attacking game that has been their hallmark for years. New recruit Bienvenu Eva Nga offers them a different dimension up front, being the big, traditional number nine that he is.
They too have done OK in the league so far, where they currently sit just behind Sundowns, having played a game less. But they know they have to start catching up to the Brazilians soon, and such matches offer them the opportunity to see how far they’ve progressed in trying to do that.
Beating Sundowns over the two legs and advancing to the final would bode well for the rest of their season. A Sundowns win, on the other hand, would only serve to further entrench the gulf that already exists between them and the rest of the league.

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