Limping Pitso targets Aces

Mamelodi Sundowns are preparing for one of their biggest matches of the season against Black Aces on Wednesday, said Downs coach Pitso Mosimane after his side were held to a 0-0 draw by Golden Arrows on Saturday night.

Absa Premiership leaders Sundowns saw their gap over second-placed Bidvest Wits cut from nine to seven points as they could not put away their chances against an Arrows side absorbing pressure at Lucas Moripe Stadium.

Downs face third-placed Black Aces at the same venue on Wednesday.

"The Aces game is very important. You play smart. We are disappointed we didn't win tonight. Because we thought the next four or five games could really give us an opportunity to play our strongest team in Africa, and prioritise on that," Mosimane said

"But we have to win our league games, which does make Wednesday's game bigger. Aces are near to us and if we can win that match it can give us a bit of space and a breather.

"The Chicken Inn game is also lingering in the back of our minds."

Downs meet the Zimbabweans Chicken Inn in the second leg of their CAF Champions League preliminary round tie at Lucas Moripe on Saturday, having lost the first leg 1-0 in Bulawayo.

Mosimane admitted that for in-form Sundowns right now, the difficulty is preserving their hunger when wins seem to be coming easily - with Saturday's result a case in point.

"We have to go over that barrier of, when it's difficult, we need to push more," he said.

Arrows coach Clinton Larsen was impressed at how his team absorbed pressure against Downs, though he felt his side lacked a final pass on the counter-attack. "Every point against any team in this league is precious. It's absolutely not any different that it's against Sundowns," Larsen said.