Mamelodi Sundowns DStv Diski Challenge [DDC] head coach Tiro van Rooyen has weighed in on the intensifying title race as his side looks to chase down rivals Orlando Pirates in the reserve league.
Currently, Masandawana occupy second place on the DDC table with 42 points after 20 matches. The Chloorkop-based outfit now finds itself three points behind the log leaders Pirates, who hold a game in hand, giving the Buccaneers an advantage of being crowned the champions come the end of the season.
On Saturday, 21 February, Bafana Ba Style secured a 3-1 win over TS Galaxy at Lucas Moripe Stadium in Atteridgeville. Meanwhile, the Buccaneers settled for a 1-1 draw with Polokwane City FC at the UJ Soweto Campus.
The victory is viewed as an opportunity for Sundowns to apply pressure at the summit of the table.
‘WE JUST HAVE TO DO OUR PART’: Tiro van Rooyen
Van Rooyen remains optimistic about his side’s chances of winning the league, citing the unpredictable nature of the beautiful game.
The coach emphasised that the team’s primary focus must remain on their own performance rather than watching how their rivals are playing.
He went on to state that there are 10 games remaining, and they must treat every fixture as a cup final if they hope to bring the DDC silverware back to Chloorkop.
“Well, there is still a lot of football to play. I mean, there are about 11 games left and we need to take every game seriously. You never know what happens in football; it’s like a marathon, you know?,” Tiro told FARPost.
“We just have to do our part. We are not competing with anyone but ourselves. So, we need to improve on that [avoid losing games] because we are in a situation like this now, and we are the ones who are dropping points, not that the league competitiveness has gone up. It’s just that we disappointed ourselves.”
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