Mkhize wary of newly crowned champs Downs

Mamelodi Sundowns may have won the DStv Premiership title already with seven matches to spare but that doesn’t mean their remaining fixtures will be easy.

This is the view of Cape Town City captain Thamsanqa Mkhize as they prepare to face the newly crowned league champions at Loftus Versfeld Stadium tonight (7.30pm).

Mkhize feels some of the Sundowns players who are likely to be given a chance will want to convince their coach Rulani Mokwena that they deserve to play, which will make their encounter more difficult tonight.

“When you are a big team and you challenge for big honours even when you have won the league already, you still play for pride,” Mkhize told Sowetan yesterday.

“And also, we must remember that Sundowns have a big squad and that squad is full of talent, so other players who have not been playing are hungry for game time. 

“We don’t know which team they are going to put tomorrow [tonight]. I always say there are no easy games in the league, especially with Sundowns because they are at a different level. So, they are not going to relax, even when they’ve won the league.

“If I’m a Sundowns player and I’ve not been getting game time and then I get an opportunity to play, do you think I will take it easy? No, I won’t do that because I want to put my name on the squad.

“So, I know we are expecting a tough game from Sundowns.”

With seven points behind Orlando Pirates, Kaizer Chiefs and SuperSport United, who are tied on 40 points, City can reduce the deficit to four with a victory against the champions tonight.

Mkhize said they are also fighting for that second spot and that anything can happen with seven matches remaining.

“Anything is possible. I won’t lie because the goal is to make sure we don’t go out of the top four. Now we must challenge for that second spot because first position is already out of the picture,” he said.

“If we go there and apply ourselves the way we know how we play football and play with confidence, we stand a chance because the game of football is won by taking chances.

Meanwhile, Sundowns defender Grant Kekana said their target is to better their records and the plan is to win all the remaining matches.

“As much as we’ve won the league, there are still things like records that we are willing to break and standards that we’ve set for ourselves in the beginning of the season to see if we can achieve them and that’s what will motivate us to go on and win games.”

Tonight: Sundowns v CPT, Loftus 7.30pm

Tomorrow: Gallants v Royal AM, Free State 7.30pm

Friday: SuperSport v Galaxy, TUT 7.30pm

Saturday: Richards Bay v Arrows, King Zwelithini 3pm; Sekhukhune v Maritzburg, Peter Mokaba 5.30pm; Chippa v Pirates, Nelson Mandela Bay 5.30pm; Chiefs v Gallants, FNB 8pm

Sunday: Royal v Stellenbosch, Chatsworth 3pm; Swallows v Sundowns, Dobsonville 3pm; CPT v AmaZulu, Cape Town 5.30pm