Former Bafana Bafana star Teko Modise has explained why he believes that the mouth-watering clash between Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates on Wednesday night is a league title decider.
Pirates and Sundowns will lock horns in a top-of-the-table clash in the Betway Premiership at FNB Stadium tonight [19:30], with both teams gunning for maximum points.
The Buccaneers are aiming for a victory to open a nine-point gap over the defending champions, Sundowns, who have clinched the league title for eight consecutive seasons. Pirates are currently sitting at the summit of the league table with 38 points in 16 matches. They claimed 12 wins, two draws, and two defeats in the league.
Meanwhile, Sundowns are positioned second on the log with 32 points in 15 matches so far. With a victory against Pirates, the Tshwane giants could reduce the point difference at the summit of the table to only three points.
While Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou and the club captain Nkosinathi Sibisi have played down the notion that the match against Sundowns is a title decider, Modise says whoever wins this blockbuster will carry momentum for the remainder of the season.
The retired midfielder has experience playing for both Pirates and Sundowns, though he achieved most of his success with Masandawana, winning a handful of major trophies, including the 2016 CAF Champions League.
WHAT TEKO MODISE SAID ABOUT THE SUNDOWNS VS PIRATES CLASH
“This is a massive fixture. Sundowns are coming off a big win [against MC Alger], and in football, you need that momentum. In games of this magnitude, you can’t afford even a single lapse in concentration. For me, this isn’t just a three-point game; it’s a six-pointer,” Modise said on the Pitchside Podcast.
“Even though it’s only game number 16 for Mamelodi Sundowns, it could be a title decider in the sense that a victory creates momentum that carries you through the rest of the season.
“I’ll give you a practical example: One year, we returned from pre-season in Ghana and found ourselves 10 points behind Kaizer Chiefs. We were struggling, but we won one game—I think it was against Bidvest Wits—and we didn’t lose again until we won the league. We just needed that spark.”
“But the game has evolved, and players have more quality now, but the stakes remain the same. You are playing against rivals you are fighting with for the top spot. You have to remember: this is a team [Pirates] that hasn’t won the league in over a decade. Meanwhile, Sundowns have won it for eight years straight.
“The pressure is entirely on Sundowns to defend their crown, but the excitement now is the real possibility of seeing Pirates win the title if they can pull this off.”
“I’ve been watching the games and the officiating—I’m not saying anything specific—but going into a match like this, you want to play as clean as possible. You want to win to minimise that points gap. Once you do that, every subsequent game becomes vital, but at least you aren’t chasing six points anymore. Instead, you’re putting the pressure back on Pirates to drop points.
“This game changes everything. Pirates are facing Sundowns and Kaizer Chiefs back-to-back, which could cause them to stumble. But it has to start with us [Sundowns] taking initiative. That’s how I view this match.”
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