Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane shrugged off any personal relief that his team not only wrapped up the Absa Premiership on Saturday‚ but that Orlando Pirates’ defeat also meant Downs do not have to worry over board-room decisions on the Tendai Ndoro matter.
Sundowns won their third league title under Mosimane – and eighth overall – with a 3-1 victory against Ajax Cape Town at Lucas Moripe Stadium on Saturday.
Pirates lost 1-0 against Cape Town City at Cape Town Stadium.
That combination of results saw Downs go seven points clear of second-placed Bucs with a game to spare.
It also meant that even the eligibility issue over Ajax striker Ndoro at a Safa arbitration‚ one of the permutations of which was that Pirates might be awarded three points‚ can no longer have an impact on the title race.
Had Pirates won‚ Sundowns would have gone into their final match away against Bloemfontein Celtic on Saturday‚ May 12‚ wanting to win‚ even with the title concluded‚ to guarantee no influence from the outcome of Ndoro case.
“But for us‚ even if it was not settled‚ our league was today. So to win was to win‚” Mosimane said.
“If we win the league‚ we will win the league on the pitch. And I’ve always said that – the league is won on the pitch.
“And whatever comes out is out of our hands‚ is out of our control‚ and you don’t want to talk much about that.
“Because do you have control? You don’t have control.
“And we played a very good team‚ in Ajax. They tried. It’s very difficult to see that this team can go to the playoffs. I’m not sure‚ with the last game – we’ll see.
“They had enough speed up-front to give us problems.”
Second-last Ajax remain threatened by the Ndoro issue.
They remained in 15th place‚ needing a win from their last game against Kaizer Chiefs at Cape Town Stadium‚ and also other results to go their way‚ to escape the promotion-relegation playoff place.
But Ajax (31 points) still face the prospect of having points deducted depending on the Ndoro arbitration outcome‚ which might even see them fall below already outright relegated Platinum Stars (21 points).
Ndoro's eligibility case is over a Fifa ruling that players may not turn out for more than two clubs in a season. The Zimbabwean has played for Pirates‚ Al Faisaly in Saudi Arabia‚ and seven games for Ajax in 2017-18.
Mosimane not bothered by Ndoro matters that could give Pirates points
Image: Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images
Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane shrugged off any personal relief that his team not only wrapped up the Absa Premiership on Saturday‚ but that Orlando Pirates’ defeat also meant Downs do not have to worry over board-room decisions on the Tendai Ndoro matter.
Sundowns won their third league title under Mosimane – and eighth overall – with a 3-1 victory against Ajax Cape Town at Lucas Moripe Stadium on Saturday.
Pirates lost 1-0 against Cape Town City at Cape Town Stadium.
That combination of results saw Downs go seven points clear of second-placed Bucs with a game to spare.
It also meant that even the eligibility issue over Ajax striker Ndoro at a Safa arbitration‚ one of the permutations of which was that Pirates might be awarded three points‚ can no longer have an impact on the title race.
Had Pirates won‚ Sundowns would have gone into their final match away against Bloemfontein Celtic on Saturday‚ May 12‚ wanting to win‚ even with the title concluded‚ to guarantee no influence from the outcome of Ndoro case.
“But for us‚ even if it was not settled‚ our league was today. So to win was to win‚” Mosimane said.
“If we win the league‚ we will win the league on the pitch. And I’ve always said that – the league is won on the pitch.
“And whatever comes out is out of our hands‚ is out of our control‚ and you don’t want to talk much about that.
“Because do you have control? You don’t have control.
“And we played a very good team‚ in Ajax. They tried. It’s very difficult to see that this team can go to the playoffs. I’m not sure‚ with the last game – we’ll see.
“They had enough speed up-front to give us problems.”
Second-last Ajax remain threatened by the Ndoro issue.
They remained in 15th place‚ needing a win from their last game against Kaizer Chiefs at Cape Town Stadium‚ and also other results to go their way‚ to escape the promotion-relegation playoff place.
But Ajax (31 points) still face the prospect of having points deducted depending on the Ndoro arbitration outcome‚ which might even see them fall below already outright relegated Platinum Stars (21 points).
Ndoro's eligibility case is over a Fifa ruling that players may not turn out for more than two clubs in a season. The Zimbabwean has played for Pirates‚ Al Faisaly in Saudi Arabia‚ and seven games for Ajax in 2017-18.
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