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Sundowns target another three points

football14 April 2024 16:40| © Backpage TXT
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Rhulani Mokwena © Gallo Images

Mamelodi Sundowns will target another three points in their march toward the championship as the DStv Premiership stages three matches this working week.

Sundowns have seen their catch-up match away to Moroka Swallows at the Dobsonville Stadium brought forward to Monday night (15 April), as they look to move to 21 unbeaten matches in the league this season and close in on a record-extending seventh successive title.

The Brazilians, who will be away to Esperance de Tunis in the first leg of their CAF Champions League semifinal this coming weekend, come into the clash on the back of a hard-fought 4-3 penalty shootout win (after a 1-1 draw) with second-tier University of Pretoria in a Nedbank Cup quarterfinal on Friday evening.

The Birds, meanwhile, lost 1-0 to Richards Bay in their last league outing on 6 April to extend a lean run of form which has seen them take just one outright win from their last 16 matches across all competitions.

Sundowns coach Rhulani Mokwena has admitted that he would have preferred for this Monday match to have been postponed in light of their busy schedule: “Oh yes for sure,” he responded when asked about this.

“I said to myself you are allowed to feel tired, feel grumpy, worn down because you are a human being and not a robot. I spend too much time on the team and it’s the same with players – they are allowed to feel like that.”

SUPERSPORT LOOK TO GET BACK TO WINNING WAYS

The Premiership continues on Wednesday 17 April with two matches, as Sekhukhune United host in-form Stellenbosch FC at the Peter Mokaba Stadium, at the same time that SuperSport United welcome Polokwane City at the Lucas Moripe Stadium.

The narrative heading into these two matches was set in the Nedbank Cup this past weekend when Stellies recorded a 4-0 destruction of SuperSport at the Danie Craven – courtesy of goals from Anicet Oura, Devin Titus, Andre de Jong and Iqraam Rayners.

The team from the Cape Winelands are unbeaten in 21 matches across all official competitions (which excludes their loss to an All Stars XI in the Black Label Cup in January), though Sekhukhune have also performed admirably of late, racking up an eight-game unbeaten run in the league.

In addition, these teams met earlier this month in Stellenbosch and played to a goalless stalemate.

SuperSport, by contrast, are looking to avoid a hat-trick of defeats across league and cup matches, and end a seven-game winless run in the Premiership, while City have just one win in their last five matches.

“We have a lot of young players. They are learning and they are suffering at the moment but they are going to have to learn very quickly,” said SuperSport coach Gavin Hunt.

MIDWEEK FIXTURES

Times CAT

Monday 15 April

7:30pm: Moroka Swallows v Mamelodi Sundowns

Wednesday 17 April

7:30pm Sekhukhune United v Stellenbosch FC

7:30pm: SuperSport United v Polokwane City

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