Former Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns player Benson Mhlongo has explained why he believes neither side should be considered favourites ahead of the MTN8 final.
The two South African football giants will meet at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday, with kick-off scheduled for 18:00.
Mhlongo believes the encounter will be a clash of the titans, with both teams having what it takes to lift the trophy.
The former midfielder also feels Pirates have significantly narrowed the gap on Sundowns, making the contest between the two sides much more competitive and difficult to predict.
“No, there’s no favourites, it’s a battle of the titans,” said Mhlongo on Radio 2000.
“This is what we’ve been longing for, for the past years to say Sundowns must have [strong] opponents, a team that will challenge them.
“And I’m excited to see Pirates challenging them and we need two more teams to challenge for the league.
“This is what South African football must be all about, competitions mustn’t be easy. So, for me there are no favourites in this game.”
‘The stronger defence will win this game’
He also weighed in on what could determine the outcome of the encounter, insisting that the team that defends better will likely emerge victorious.
“The team that has strong defence will win the game because there will be a lot of attempts,” he added.
“The ‘keepers must be on their toes and the defenders must be vigilant because both teams have got forwards who can dodge, break the lines, play in between, use width and can play behind.
“They are more similar, Pirates do it with pace and force but Sundowns do it with precision.”