We’ll treat our last games as cup finals, says Onyango

With Orlando Pirates breathing down their necks in the race for the Premier Soccer League (PSL) title, Mamelodi Sundowns goalkeeper Denis Onyango says they will treat all their remaining matches as cup finals.

Fresh from reaching the CAF Champions League final following their 1-1 draw with Al Ahly on Friday, Sundowns have already switched their focus to the domestic matches, starting with Richards Bay at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Wednesday (7.30pm).

Masandawana will head into the match with 55 points and lead second-placed Pirates by nine points. The Buccaneers, who will host Sekhukhune United on Wednesday, have two games in hand, and this is why Onyango wants his side to treat all their matches as finals.

“Of course, it is not an easy task for the boys but we take every game as it comes, one at a time. Right now, we're focusing on the Premiership because we must lift the trophy. When it's time for the Champions League, we will switch our focus to it, but every game is a final for us and we hope we win all our remaining matches,” he told the club's media department.

Onyango, 39, also acknowledged the resilience of Bay as they are fighting for their lives in the PSL. The Natal Rich Boyz are not safe as they are 13th on the table with 26 points and lead SuperSport United and Cape Town City by three points, with six matches remaining.

“Very difficult match, especially since we were playing in the Champions League and coming back from a very difficult game, but we have to switch our focus to the Richards Bay fixture, they are a very hard-running team,” he said.

“They are fighting for their lives. We know that, but we have the quality and we must stay focused as a team and try as much as possible to get results in our remaining matches,” he said.

Bay will come into this fixture on the back of a 1-0 win over City but they don’t have a good record away, with a single victory in 12 fixtures on the road. 

Fixtures

Wednesday: Pirates vs Sekhukhune, Orlando (7.30pm); Sundowns vs Bay, Loftus Versfeld (7.30pm); Stellenbosch vs Chippa, Danie Craven (7.30pm)

Friday: AmaZulu vs Polokwane, King Zwelithini (7.30pm)

Saturday: Chiefs vs Pirates, FNB (3pm); Arrows vs Stellenbosch, Mpumalanga (3pm); SuperSport vs Chippa, Peter Mokaba (5.30pm); CPT City vs Sundowns, Cape Town (8pm); Magesi vs Sekhukhune, Seshego (8pm)

Sunday: Galaxy vs Bay, Lucas Moripe (3pm).