BATHUSI AUBAAS has emphatically stated that revenge will not be on the minds of the Mamelodi Sundowns players as they prepare to face Polokwane City at Loftus Versfeld tonight.
Two weeks ago, City dealt the league champions a surprising 1-0 defeat at the old Peter Mokaba Stadium, igniting speculation that Sundowns would be looking to even the score in this second round clash. However, Aubaas insists that the team’s mentality is solely focused on securing a win.
“We don’t do revenge here at this team. The only thing we are looking at is to win the match because at Sundowns we try to win every match that we play,” he asserted.
The sting of that earlier defeat still lingers for Sundowns, especially considering they failed to even challenge the City goalkeeper throughout the match.
“We did not play well against them in Polokwane,” Aubaas explained. We had no shots on target, but we will do better this time around. Everybody is ready to face Polokwane City. In our game against (Kaizer) Chiefs in the Carling Knockout quarterfinal, which we won 4-0, we applied ourselves the way the coach wanted us to play.
“Now, going into this match against Polokwane, we have to apply what the coach wants. We must focus on ourselves and our game, and not worry about the opposition.”
Historically, Polokwane City has presented a formidable challenge for Sundowns. Prior to their loss at the Mokaba Stadium, Sundowns required extra time to edge past Phuti Mohafe’s squad in the MTN8 quarter-finals.
Aubaas identified key strengths in the City team, saying, “They always pump the ball into the box and have a big striker who bulldozes the defenders.
“We will deal with that, and we must also contend with the second balls. We have to take our opportunities to win the match.”
If the Sundowns team that overwhelmed Chiefs is in attendance tonight, it could spell trouble for Polokwane City. However, there is a possibility that coach Manqoba Mngqithi may field a different starting eleven, and the performance level will be a crucial factor.
City has started their season exceptionally well, currently seated third in the league table, just behind second-placed Sundowns and leaders Orlando Pirates. A victory at Loftus would not only enhance their position in the standings but also provide immense motivation for players like Thabang Matuludi and Oswin Appollis to perform at their absolute best.
The prospect of completing a league double over Sundowns would add to the significance of the match for Polokwane. Nonetheless, Aubaas and his teammates are determined to make it a challenging encounter for City. The stage is set for what promises to be an exciting clash in the Betway Premiership.