Orlando Pirates defender Tapelo Xoki says Mamelodi Sundowns have set the benchmark for the rest of league but they are prepared to secure three points.
It will be the fourth official meeting in the domestic league of the two sides, with Pirates drawing 0-0 and winning 3-0 in the MTN8 semi-final and Sundowns winning 2-0 at Loftus in the first round of the DStv Premiership.
Masandawana holds a 24-point lead over fourth-placed Pirates, albeit having played two games more.
And as they look poised to secure a sixth consecutive league title, Xoki believes his Pirates side are ready to show how much they’ve progressed to compete for three points at Orlando Stadium.
“I can say we’ve never been readier, we’re looking forward to the game, the preparations have been going well, we just need to make sure we’re in the right mind space,” Xoki said.
“It’s a huge game, we know the pressure that comes with it, we’ve played them recently, quite a bit so we kind of know them, they kind of know us – we just need to play ourselves correctly, play positively, and get that result we need.
“For outsiders, it’s interesting because both teams are in form, they have been in form for many months now and set the benchmark for the league,” he said.
“We all have to try and catch up because they have pulled away for now, we have to make sure we try and decrease the points as much as we can. This one will be interesting because both teams are in form.”
“We have goals for sure, we know where we’ve come short and where we’ve achieved and we’ll look at that at the end of the season – but the most important thing now is [Sundowns] and we need to apply ourselves for that.”
The Buccaneers host the Tshwane giants this afternoon at Esgodini (15h30).
Source Link Xoki – Sundowns Have Set The Benchmark
