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Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso is concentrating on Wednesday's game against SuperSport. Picture: GALLO IMAGES/LEFTY SHIVAMBU
Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso is concentrating on Wednesday's game against SuperSport. Picture: GALLO IMAGES/LEFTY SHIVAMBU

As Mamelodi Sundowns and SuperSport United renew their rivalry in the Tshwane derby at Lucas Moripe Stadium on Wednesday (7.30pm), Masandawana coach Miguel Cardoso insists he is keeping his focus on this clash as he wants a win to go to the Orlando Pirates match with momentum.

After the derby, Sundowns will host Pirates in the Premier Soccer League top-of-the-table clash at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday. This is after they delivered an impressive performance when they hammered Golden Arrows 4-0 at Lucas Moripe Stadium on Sunday to restore their six-point advantage over the Buccaneers.

“You cannot look too much in the front because you never know what will happen in the next game [against Pirates],” said Cardoso after the Arrows game.

“Today [Sunday], we had an intention, but we could not follow through because the game was asking for things and I needed to do it. I cannot think about the next one, before I play this one. I need three points. You cannot think about winning against Pirates before we play SuperSport because it is three points. So we need to focus on the results in the next match and then deal with the context.

Since he took over in December, Cardoso has guided Sundowns to five successive wins in the league. They will be the favourites against Matsatsantsa a Pitori on Wednesday night.

SuperSport will come into the game having stretched their winless run in the league to four matches when they succumbed 2-1 to AmaZulu on Saturday, and will be eager to end that against their crosstown rivals.

Sundowns won the most recent fixture against SuperSport 2-0 earlier this season and will be looking to complete a double and maintain their lead at the top of the table.

Peter Shalulile of Mamelodi Sundowns, centre. Picture: LEFTY SHIVAMBU/GALLO IMAGES
Peter Shalulile of Mamelodi Sundowns, centre. Picture: LEFTY SHIVAMBU/GALLO IMAGES

Cardoso will rely on Peter Shalulile and Lucas Ribeiro Costa, who both impressed against Arrows.

Meanwhile, SuperSport coach Gavin Hunt is disappointed that they won’t have Lebohang Maboe for this match after he joined them on loan from Masandawana in January due to their contract agreement.

“He’s just come in and it’s disappointing because he adds value to us but agreements were made that wherever they were done, I don’t know anything about it,” he said.

“I’ve just been told he can’t play, so that is a big blow to us because we saw on Saturday [in] the half-an-hour he played, the quality he can give us. [He brings] a different dimension to the team, so it’s disappointing.”   

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