A BRIDGE TOO FAR

NEMESIS: BUCS IN CRUCIAL CATCH-UP GAME AGAINST MASANDAWANA POSTPONED

By Ali Mphaki

Impossible is a word often frowned upon  in football, yet most pundits will attest its going to be a helluva struggle for Orlando Pirates to bridge the18 points clear of their Tshwane rivals Mamelodi Sundowns whom they host in the Betway Premiership in a game that was scheduled for  Saturday but has been postponed for Sunday afternoon.

First scheduled for Orlando stadium,  then moved to  FNB, now postponed for 24 hrs at the same venue. As  to be expected, `both affected teams have voiced their displeasure at the turn of events. Some of the fans from out of town who made accommodation reservation collateral damage .

Comign to the game Its all to play for, for Orlando Pirates, who face a team which has been their nemesis and source of persecution in numerous most recent matches.

When last they met in early February, 4-1 was the score in favour of  ‘Downs,  the gap  between the two teams was a mere six points, Pirates with 33 and Sundowns with 39, the latter having played one more match. Fast forward to mid-March the gap has widened like a raging Umgeni River, a clear 18 points difference.

Should Sundowns bag all three points come Sunday, it will increase their points tally against their nearest rival to 21 points. which to all intents and purposes will be like a bridge too far for the Amabhakabhaka in their hope against hope to eclipse ‘Downs from their pedestal.

If history can teach us anything, is that Pirates players turn to choke against “Downs. In the previous 28 meetings,  Pirates has won 6 times, Sundowns has won 15 times, and 7 ended in a draw.  Pirates scored 20 goals and Sundowns scored 42 goals in these matches.

Its well and good for “Downs coach Miguel Cardoso to downplay their Bucs encounter as “not a possible title decider”, yet the outcome will have serious ramifications – either way – for the Betway Premiership going forwards.

Cardoso’s mind games no doubt bring added pressure to Bucs coach Ribeiro, whose task is to raise his players flagging confidence and transform them into battle-scarred warriors they should be especially against the marauding “Downs.

Pirates may still have four outstanding matches as against “Downs, but the reality is that games in hand do not translate to points in the bag. When last they met, it was a sold-out affair at the Loftus stadium on February 8.

Summing up that game, Masandawana were applying pressure on the press and causing their rivals to lose balls. 

True, the Buccaneers also had opportunities to put one behind the net but “Downs goalie Ronwen Williams together with his backline didn’t allow it, making their side head to the break with a two-goal advantage.

The visitors looked like they had a game plan devised to get themselves back into the game in the second stanza but things didn’t go according to plan as they wasted many balls. Eventually, their efforts were rewarded with a long range shot which took a deflection and went past Williams to give them their only goal of the match. Two minutes later, Ribeiro put his side back into a two-goal lead when he drilled in the ball and beat the Pirates goalkeeper after he connected well with Iqraam Rayners’ ball on the face of goal.

Its up to Pirates players to redeem themselves.

Kick-off 3,30pm