Pirates look to end Sundowns’ perfect record

Orlando Pirates will look to end Mamelodi Sundowns’ perfect record in the DStv Premiership this season when the teams meet at the Orlando Stadium on the evening of Wednesday 20 September 2023.

Kick-off is at 7.30pm CAT.

MATCH BACKGROUND

Pirates come into the match on the back of a 1-0 loss away to Botswana’s Jwaneng Galaxy in the preliminaries of the CAF Champions League on Sunday. The Buccaneers will look to turn the tie in their favour when they host the return game in late September.

On the league front, Pirates were last in action in late August when they claimed a 2-0 home win over Cape Town City, courtesy of goals from Zakhele Lepasa and Patrick Maswanganyi. Bucs have taken seven points from four Premiership matches thus far, going unbeaten since their opening-round loss at the hands of Stellenbosch FC.

Sundowns were also in Champions League action this past weekend, claiming a comfortable 4-0 away win over Burundi’s Bumamuru FC in Tanzania to all but guarantee a spot in the group stage of the continental competition. Lucas Ribeiro (two), Lesiba Nku and Peter Shalulile shared the goals in their East African trip.

The Brazilians have racked up a perfect domestic league record thus far in the 2023-24 season. Their 2-0 away win over Polokwane City in late August – thanks to a brace from Ribeiro – made it six victories from as many outings at the start of their quest to win a record-extending seventh successive title.

PREVIOUS MEETINGS

In head-to-head stats, Pirates and Sundowns have met in 77 league matches dating back as far as 1985. The Brazilians have claimed 36 wins compared to 21 for the Buccaneers, with 20 games drawn.

‘Downs have won the last six successive league meetings of the teams, with the most recent example a 1-0 triumph at the Orlando Stadium back in February of this year. Cassius Mailula netted the only goal of the game.

WHAT THE TEAMS ARE SAYING

Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro on managing his squad:

“It goes without saying, it’s difficult, but at the same time I said on many occasions that I’m lucky. The players, I understand sometimes they can be upset, but they’re very good professionals. They understand they’re playing for Pirates, the squad is big, the quality is very high. We try to be fair, we try to complete as good as possible.

“For the coach, it’s difficult when you’re in the last days of the week. You have to think about how can I be close to be fair because I cannot be totally fair. I just try to be fair with the situation, thinking about the game that is coming, how can I guarantee that the team is going to perform.”

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Rhulani Mokwena on the work ethic driving their success:

“We are playing in a way that of course we watch the opposition and we put in a lot of work behind the scenes, and we know the type of players that they have.

“We have got a way of playing now that we want to play a certain way, adopt certain things and change certain things in relation to the opposition, but there’s nothing special about us. We just happen to work very, very hard and have very, very good football players in our team.”

PLAYER LINKS

Orlando Pirates have two former Mamelodi Sundowns men on their roster, Lesedi Kapinga and Kermit Erasmus, while the Brazilians’ only former Buccaneer is Gift Motupa. Erasmus scored against ‘Downs in Pirates’ most recent win over the Tshwane club – a 3-0 triumph in the second leg of the MTN8 semifinals last season.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Orlando Pirates

Zakhele Lepasa – The 26-year-old forward has looked a man reborn this season, playing with a confidence, ruthlessness and hunger for goals that has made him one of the ‘must watch’ attackers in South African football. He will look to continue that form against Sundowns on Wednesday.

Patrick Maswanganyi – ‘Tito’ has looked very much at home in an Orlando Pirates jersey since joining from SuperSport United, and he will be looking to keep up his creativity against the rock-solid defence of Mamelodi Sundowns.

Mamelodi Sundowns

Lucas Ribeiro – The Brazilian forward has made a huge impact for Sundowns, with six goals and eight assists in eight appearances across all competitions so far this season. If he can continue that level of performance on Wednesday evening, then ‘Downs will be strong favourites for a seventh straight league win.

Junior Mendieta – Whether off the bench or as a starter, Mendieta’s aggression and dynamism has already added a new dimension to what Sundowns have to offer in attack. The Argentine will not be as fundamental to his new team as he was to Stellenbosch, but he nonetheless offers ‘Downs yet more depth and versatility.