Bucs aim to sink Sundowns
With R2-million in TAB Soccer pool add-ins this weekend, soccer bettors will be looking for a few bankers, but with Pirates on the up, they can surprise Sundowns, who have almost become a permanent banker in recent months.
By Mark Gleeson
Orlando Pirates are the one team who have handed Mamelodi Sundowns a stinging defeat in the last 10 months with their 3-0 win in Pretoria in October - a dent in the aura of invincibility that the champions are building.
Now they will be looking to do it again on home turf tomorrow as Sundowns make the short trip to the Orlando Stadium.
The 0-3 loss at Loftus Versfeld did expose fragility in the Brazilians’ defensive make-up but it has since been comprehensively strengthened, as attested by a winning run that is setting new records almost weekly.
Sundowns did shake up their coaching staff after that defeat, elevating Rhulani Mokwena to sole coach and demoting Manqoba Mngqithi. Since then, they have gone on a 12-match winning run.
But that is under severe threat in Soweto tomorrow as Pirates are also finding form, with three wins in their past trio of games and a sudden glut of goals.
Pirates have also been boosted by good news on the injury front with first-choice goalkeeper Richard Ofori back in training, as is the mercurial Thembinkosi Lorch.
If Pirates win, however, it will have little, if any, impact on Sundowns’ runaway lead in the DStv Premiership, which is now about who finishes second.
There are important games in that chase for the runner-up spot.
SuperSport United are at home to Cape Town City tomorrow, while Kaizer Chiefs play away on Sunday at bogey team TS Galaxy.
In the English Premier League, Arsenal take their five-point lead to Everton tomorrow, who will be playing a first match under new manager Sean Dyche. He was only appointed this week and has had no support in the transfer market from the club’s beleaguered owners.
It is a ridiculously tough start for the ‘Ginger One’ at a club who were spiralling downhill under Frank Lampard.
Arsenal, therefore, have an opportunity to further extend their lead in the title race, especially if Manchester City slip up at Tottenham, where they have had difficulty in the past.
In Serie A, Napoli have a substantial lead in the title race but Inter Milan cannot be written off yet. They have the derby at San Siro on Sunday night against AC Milan, who have suddenly crashed and were indeed beaten 0-3 by Inter last month in the Super Cup match in Saudi Arabia.
If Milan lose badly again to Inter, then it is expected coach Stefano Pioli will be shown the door.