It’s advantage Sundowns at Dobsonville‚ says Highlands Park coach Da Gama

13 August 2020 - 12:00 By Mahlatse Mphahlele
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Highlands Park head coach Owen da Gama with goalkeeper coach Rowen Fernandez and striker Rodney Ramagalela at training.
Highlands Park head coach Owen da Gama with goalkeeper coach Rowen Fernandez and striker Rodney Ramagalela at training.
Image: Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix

Highlands Park will get their first taste of football in the bubble on Friday at Dobsonville Stadium when they take on Mamelodi Sundowns in the Absa Premiership‚ and coach Owen Da Gama says his charges are not fully prepared.

Da Gama said it has not been long enough since Highlands resumed training for players to be in tip-top physical condition but he understands that the show must go on to complete the season.

“Nobody can get it 100 percent right because it hasn’t been long since we started training but we have tried to manage the boys as best as possible‚” said Da Gama as he looked ahead to the meeting with the Brazilians.

“Going into the first match‚ I don’t think there is anyone who will say they are ready and I don’t think that we are prepared.

“We only started playing 11 versus 11 at training last week because we had to introduce the players gradually due to the health and regulations that we had to follow. I started training with four players‚ moved to six‚ eight‚ ten until we had 22 last week.”

Sundowns have already played two matches since football resumed last weekend‚ against Bidvest Wits in the Nedbank Cup and Orlando Pirates in the league‚ and Da Gama believes the Brazilians have an advantage.

“Sundowns have two games under their belt already and they will be much more prepared than us‚ but in saying that there is nothing we can do about it. We just have to be as prepared as we can be‚” he said.

“We have only played amongst each other at training because we can’t play friendly matches and we will see what happens on Friday.

“Having watched the matches that have been played in the PSL and GladAfrica Championship so far‚ what we have picked up is that the quality is still very good and there is no doubt about that.

“But we have noticed in the match against Pirates on Tuesday‚ Sundowns were getting tired in the second half.

“I am expecting an interesting game because they have beaten us twice this season and we are not happy about that. It is always very difficult to plan against Sundowns – who would have said that Lebohang Maboe will play right back [against Pirates].

“They can put three teams out there on any given day because they have a big squad and quality players. It is obvious that we will have to plan properly for them because they can introduce anyone from the bench at any time.

“You saw they made five changes against Pirates and they made a number of substitutions against Wits – they have enough depth and quality.”

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