Mamelodi Sundowns defender Khulumani Ndamane has explained what makes Golden Arrows a tough test as the two sides face off in the Betway Premiership on Sunday afternoon, with kickoff set for 15:00.
The Brazilians will travel to King Zwelithini Stadium in Umlazi to face Arrows, looking to secure maximum points and leapfrog Orlando Pirates at the summit of the league table.
Pirates will not feature in Betway Premiership action this weekend due to continental commitments. The Buccaneers have shifted their focus to the CAF Champions League first preliminary round, where they face Mauritian side Disciples FC away.
Currently setting the pace at the summit of the league standings with 13 points and a superior goal difference, Pirates find themselves locked in an early title race alongside Sundowns, who sit second on equal points.
Sundowns have a golden opportunity to capitalise on Pirates’ league absence and gain an upper hand. A victory against Arrows would propel Masandawana three points clear at the top of the table.
This weekend’s encounter adds another chapter to an already intense local rivalry, marking the third time Sundowns and Abafana Bes’thende clash in just a matter of weeks. The two sides recently battled out a hard-fought, two-legged MTN8 semi-final tie, with the Tshwane giants narrowly advancing on the away-goals rule after a dramatic 3-3 aggregate draw.
NDAMANE EXPECTS ATTACKING GOLDEN ARROWS
With Sundowns determined to claim all three points on the road, Ndamane expects a fiery encounter, warning that an aggressive, attack-minded Arrows side will stop at nothing to exploit their home-ground advantage.
“I think it’s not going to be an easy game. We’ve already played Arrows two times, and this is going to be a third game playing against them,” said Ndamane.
“So I think they’ll come to this match wanting to win; everyone plays to win, but we just need to focus and come back with three points.
“As I said, everyone comes to all matches wanting to win, so what we can expect is that they are going to attack because it’s their home game. For us is to try to manage them and get all three points.”
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