Cape Town City coach Eric Tinkler believes Mamelodi Sundowns will continue to dominate the DStv Premiership despite losing so early in the season against TS Galaxy.
The 2022/23 campaign has had some exciting results in three matches, which has seen the big teams drop points.
The likes of Kaizer Chiefs, Orlando Pirates, SuperSport United and Cape Town City are still yet to give confidence as to whether they are ready to compete against the defending champions, who have dominated the league for over six years.
After their shock 1-0 loss to TS Galaxy, they bounced back strong to beat Amakhosi 4-0 on Saturday. The emphatic victory sent a message that it would be another tough season for other teams.
Despite the excellent start by newly promoted Richards Bay FC, TS Galaxy and AmaZulu FC, who are currently leading the log with seven points, The Citizens’ coach Eric Tinkler is convinced that Masandawana is still miles ahead of other teams in the DStv Premiership.
He warns that talking about challenging them at this point is premature and a bit too far-fetched for any team. “Sundowns are Sundowns [laughs]; the rest of us are there trying to compete against them if not with one another. We can’t make judgements about the challengers for now or which team will compete for trophies; still too early, but Downs are ahead of us all,” Tinkler told the media.
The upcoming rounds of matches are set to make the league more interesting as log leaders Natal Rich Boys will play Amakhosi in Durban. At the same time, The Rockets will face Abafana Besithende, with Usuthu travelling to Soweto to meet the Dube Birds, who have also had a good start.
In contrast, the defending champions Downs will face Sekhukhune United, while Orlando Pirates visit Royal AM. Cape Town City faces Maritzburg United in a game where both teams will be looking for their first-season wins.
