Former Orlando Pirates striker Jerry Sikhosana has tipped his former side to upset Mamelodi Sundowns in their top-of-the-table Betway Premiership encounter on Saturday.
The Buccaneers trail Sundowns with six points, though the latter has played one game more, with this fixture already billed as one that could decide the title race though it’s still early days.
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‘Legs of Thunder’ told iDiski Times writer Matshelane Mamabolo in edition 190 of the newspaper that he was convinced by Sundowns performance in the last 32 round of the Nedbank cup that they can be challenged.
“Pirates have what it takes to beat Sundowns, and I believe they will win on Saturday,” Sikhosana told iDiski Times.
“[Miguel] Cardoso [the new Sundowns coach] is still trying new things there and you could tell that against Sibanye [in the Nedbank Cup] when they conceded two goals. That’s something that said to me Pirates should be able to beat them.”
There has been a lot of talk about how the fixture is a potential title decider and Sikhosana differs with that saying a win for Pirates will only be a confidence booster and narrow the gap however they still need to overcome everyone especially the minnows to get the title.
“I don’t think this match can be seen as a potential title decider because we’re in the first round and there is still a long way to go,” added Sikhosana.
“So, this is not a decider yet. For me, in the league, the challenge is always about how you do against the so-called minnows. Yes, you can beat the team that you are in direct competition with for the title and get a morale booster, but I’ve seen teams lose because they fail to make sure they don’t lose against clubs like Magesi for example.
“The reality is that the three points you get against [Kaizer] Chiefs or Sundowns are the same as you get from TS Galaxy, so it is key to try and beat everyone. For me, the key about the weekend’s match is for Pirates to beat Sundowns and hold them from pulling away. If they can do that, they have a great chance of winning the league.
“They have a lot of things going their way this season. [Jose] Riveiro is on to a great thing there.
“And yes, I can put my money on Pirates beating Sundowns this weekend.”
