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PSL hits back at Pitso over fixtures

ON THE DEFENSIVE: PSL general manager Derek Blanckensee Photo: Duif du Toit/Gallo Images
ON THE DEFENSIVE: PSL general manager Derek Blanckensee Photo: Duif du Toit/Gallo Images

PREMIER Soccer League general manager Derek Blanckensee does not see how the fixture schedule at the end of the season prejudices Mamelodi Sundowns.

Responding to comments made by league-leading Downs coach Pitso Mosimane, Blanckensee said, if anything, the Brazilians are favoured by the way the season ends.

Mosimane complained that after this week's matches, Sundowns will have one game remaining and second-placed Kaizer Chiefs three.

The Downs coach had said normally by the final two rounds, matches are being played out on the same day and at the same time.

"Firstly, let me correct Pitso, the last two seasons the last two rounds have not been together. And for the same reason - we had CAF issues then as well," Blanckensee said.

"And I don't really understand Pitso's logic, because I don't know of a team that goes into a game and doesn't try to win it. If you're striving for the title, you know you have to win your games anyway.

"So I don't know how it's a disadvantage. To me, Sundowns have the advantage because their games are spread out, whereas Chiefs' are on top of each other."

Sundowns, on 61 points from 28 matches, meet SuperSport United in the Brazilians' penultimate match at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday night.

Chiefs, six points behind on 26 matches, play Bidvest Wits at Bidvest Stadium tonight, and Asec Mimosas in the second leg of a CAF Confederation Cup tie in Ivory Coast on the weekend. The PSL's best option to have Chiefs and Sundowns play their final two matches simultaneously would have been to hold back some of Downs' fixtures.

Yesterday, Polokwane City sent out a press release echoing Mosimane's sentiments.

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