Mamelodi Sundowns will be without an on-song player when they visit Orbit College FC for Tuesday’s Betway Premiership match at Olympia Park Stadium in Rustenburg.
The Brazilians will be in the North West province seeking to dislodge Orlando Pirates from the top of the top-flight league table. They are currently tied on 44 points with the Buccaneers, who, however, enjoy a superior goal difference.
At least a draw with the Mswenko Boys will see Sundowns leapfrog Pirates. Should that happen, the Soweto giants could still reclaim top spot by beating Richards Bay FC at home on Wednesday.
However, Masadandawana’s focus is on Tuesday’s game, a match in which coach Miguel Cardoso would need all his men available to build on their six-match winning streak. The encouraging run of form came not long after Cardoso and Sundowns appeared to be in a crisis.
Elimination from the Nedbank Cup stung Sundowns fans, and that was a period they almost missed out on a CAF Champions League quarter-final berth. But they have picked themselves up in a morale-boosting run that could be a concern for their nearest title challengers Pirates.
WHO IS THE SUNDOWNS PLAYER MISSING OUT ON THE ORBIT MATCH?
Cardoso will have to plan without midfielder Jayden Adams in mind. The attacking midfielder is suspended after he was red-carded against Golden Arrows last week.
It was a match the Brazilians played the last 38 minutes with a man short, but managed to claim a 2-1 victory. That could give the coach confidence that they can pull through without Adams on Tuesday.
Adams is out at a time he had picked up form, igniting talk of his return to the Bafana Bafana squad as the 2026 FIFA World Cup looms. Just before the Arrows match in which he saw red, he was named Maan of the Match in the 3-1 win over Sekhukhune United.
The former Stellenbosch FC midfielder’s absence could make way for Marcello Allende to start.
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