Having won three Absa Premiership titles in the last five seasons‚ Pitso Mosimane is experienced enough in the final stretch and knows exactly what it takes to cross the finishing line first.

The Mamelodi Sundowns coach chose the word “belief” and said that is what would be required of his champions if they are to successfully defend their title.

The Caf Champions League-winning coach was speaking after Sundowns drew blanks in a goalless draw at home against Bloemfontein Celtic at Loftus on Saturday afternoon.

Mosimane bemoaned the dropped home points and would have been even more frustrated when he watched the results in the later matches as fellow title rivals Bidvest Wits stumbled and Orlando Pirates cut his team’s lead at the top to just one point with a vital away win at Lamontville Golden Arrows.

“It’s two points lost especially at home hey‚” said Mosimane after the match.

“But it is still far from the finishing line‚ it is a long way.”

Sundowns could have ended the weekend three points clear at the top with a game in hand but instead lead second-placed Pirates by just a point although the Brazilians have played a game less.

Asked what it would take for his team to win the title race‚ Mosimane said: “It’s the belief.

“You keep trying and you keep creating chances but you must convert because with times like these (in the final stretch) chances are not too many so you must take your opportunities. We create so many chance but we never take them.”

Sundowns‚ on 40 points from 21 matches‚ will have another opportunity to stretch their lead at the top when they confront Cape Town City at Cape Town Stadium on Tuesday for the second time in seven days.

Benni McCarthy’s fiery side‚ who catapulted themselves into outside title contenders with a come-from-behind 3-2 victory away at Wits‚ will be gunning for revenge after crashing by the same shoreline against Sundowns in Pretoria last week.

City are now four points behind Sundowns and will start believing they can gate-crush the title race with a win that will reduce the gap between them and the leaders to just one point.