In the sport of boxing, closing stages of a fight are famously known as championship rounds, and the Betway Premiership race between Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates has reached that critical stage.
The physical and mental states of Sundowns and Pirates players are going to be tested to the limit over the coming weeks of the title run-in.
The record of Sundowns and Pirates in the past five league matches is similar, with three wins and two draws, and the big question is who is going to blink first?
Looking back at the past eight seasons, no one has “boxed” better at this stage than the Brazilians, who are out for a record-extending ninth championship title.
Going into the last three rounds of matches, Sundowns have a slender two-point advantage over the Buccaneers, and there is little room for error.
It was crucial for us to get back-to-back wins against Polokwane City and the confidence is back up.
— Grant Kekana
Pirates stayed in the title race with a polished 2-0 win over Stellenbosch FC on Tuesday in Cape Town, but Sundowns could pull away if they beat Kaizer Chiefs in their sold-out affair at Loftus on Wednesday night (7.30pm).
A win for Sundowns over rivals Chiefs will see them stretch their lead to five points, but they would have played one more match than Pirates.
Pirates return to action against relegation-threatened Magesi FC on Saturday at Orlando Stadium, where they will be fighting for maximum points.
Chiefs travel to the capital with ambitions of their own as they are under pressure from AmaZulu in their battle for the third-spot finish that comes with Confederation Cup football next season.
Sundowns will also be in action on Saturday, where they host Siwelele FC at Lucas Moripe Stadium in Atteridgeville, and they wrap up their campaign against TS Galaxy on Tuesday at Mbombela Stadium.
The anomaly of this season is that Sundowns will finish their league programme with Pirates still to play two matches against Durban City and Orbit College.
This is because Sundowns have the two-legged Champions League final against Moroccan side AS FAR starting next week at Loftus on May 17 and ending in Rabat the following weekend.
It’s possible to fight until the last game, and maybe the champions will be decided on the last day.
— Abdeslam Ouaddou
There is still a lot of league football to be played by the Brazilians and Buccaneers in this exciting two-horse race that is still likely to produce thrills and spills.
Ahead of their clash against Chiefs, Sundowns defender Grant Kekana said they are high on confidence after two wins over Polokwane City.
“It was crucial for us to get back-to-back wins against Polokwane City and the confidence is back up. We want to finish the season strong and we can’t wait for the game on Wednesday.”
Chiefs have dropped points over the past three matches but Kekana said they can’t be taken for granted.
“We are expecting a tough game, they have done well in the second round to be in a position where they are in now. Despite them having lost to Siwelele FC in their last match, we know they are always difficult to beat.
“We know their threats and we will try to nullify them on the day, and we will be ready for them.”
For Pirates, coach Abdeslam Ouaddou said they will fight until the end after their win over Stellenbosch.
“Let’s see what will be the result at the end of the season, but the most important thing is to give this competitiveness to the PSL until the end.
“You don’t know what will happen to the rival [referring to Sundowns] in the next few matches, so for us the dream is still here,” Ouaddou said.
“It’s possible to fight until the last game, and maybe the champions will be decided on the last day,” he said.
TimesLIVE
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