Wits looking to keep pressure on log leaders Chiefs
The picture of who will be the closest challengers to Kaizer Chiefs in this season's Absa Premiership title race could get a little clearer this evening, as Bidvest Wits host Mamelodi Sundowns at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban.
Thulani Hlatshwayo (Photo by Anesh Debiky/Gallo Images)
Wits have to play Masandawana away from their regular home at Bidvest Stadium, after being banned from playing their higher category matches their by the Premier Soccer League. The Clever Boys already won a thrilling league game 4-3 against Orlando Pirates in September at the Moses Mabhida Stadium, and will play Kaizer Chiefs at the same venue next April.
READ: Chiefs will benefit from Sundowns, Wits clash, says Pitso
Gavin Hunt’s side were in KZN only last week, with a 1-0 win over Golden Arrows at the Sugar Ray Xulu Stadium lifting them into fifth in the table. Wits (nine matches played) have plenty of games in hand on all the sides above them, thanks to their participation in the 2019/20 Caf Confederation Cup, including three in hand on Mamelodi Sundowns, who they trail by just five points. Victory this evening would put Wits into fourth place, and 12 points behind leaders Kaizer Chiefs (13 matches played).
Sundowns will head into today’s game without left back Tebogo Langerman, who is suspended after picking up his fourth yellow card of the season in Saturday’s Telkom Knockout final win over Maritzburg United.
Masandawana are likely to be on a high after that 2-1 victory, also at the Moses Mabhida Stadium, courtesy of a double from Uruguayan striker Mauricio Affonso. With Sundowns, like Wits, also involved in continental action this season, it remains to be seen just how much Pitso Mosimane shuffles his pack for this evening’s match.
Sundowns can certainly ill-afford to slip further behind Chiefs, who have set an absolutely ferocious pace in their assault on the title, with 34 points from 13 games a Premier Soccer League record for this stage of a season.
Gavin Hunt may well keep Gift Motupa in attack tonight, after his cool penalty saw off Arrows in a game Wits were slightly lucky to win, in the sense that Knox Mutizwa missed a penalty for Steve Komphela’s side.
Motupa has just three goals in all competitions for Wits this season, but the Clever Boys have generally struggled in attack. At the back, Wits have been better, as one might expect from a side with three Bafana Bafana regulars in their back four. Thulani Hlatshwayo and company will certainly need to be at their best to keep out Sundowns’ vibrant attack.
The win at Arrows was Wits’ first in five in all competitions, and they badly need to find some consistency to sustain a title challenge, as well as make it out of the group stages in the Caf Confederation Cup, where they have just one point from their first two Group C games.
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