MAMELODI Sundowns want to win their Absa Premiership clash against Polokwane City at Loftus Stadium tomorrow (7.30pm) at all costs.
The Caf Champions League title holders are still playing catch-up on their backlog of league fixtures and play a side without a coach following the shock resignation last week of Luc Eymael, who has joined struggling Bloemfontein Celtic on a two-and-a-half year contract.
Sundowns head coach Pitso Mosimane said he had no plans to rotate his squad this time around as he’s gunning for maximum points.
Mosimane has been chopping and changing his squad to give sidelined players some game-time.
The former Bafana Bafana mentor said he would stick to the same squad that won 2-1 against Kampala Capital City Authority FC (KCCA) in their first round, first leg Caf Champions League showdown at Lucas Moripe Stadium on Friday.
Midfielder Tiyani Mabunda could be the only player to miss the clash.
Mosimane said: “There won’t be many changes made on Tuesday. Maybe I will rest Mabunda because he got injured against Kampala, so I will keep him for the second leg.”
The defending PSL champions are fifth in the log table with 33 points from 16 games.
The Brazilians play KCCA in Kampala in the second leg on Saturday.
Downs have picked up only one point from their last two league matches – a 0-0 draw with Chippa United at Loftus Versfeld and a 1-0 away defeat to title-chasing Cape Town City. They are five points behind joint leaders CT City and Bidvest Wits, but have four games in hand.
However, Mosimane is not banking on those games.
He said: “The match against Polokwane City is big for us. We need to win it – in fact, we must win it because games in hand mean nothing.”
The Limpopo based City had been doing well under Eymael. They are seventh in the table with 26 points from 20 matches.
- Meanwhile, Bidvest Wits were beaten 1-0 by eight-time winners Al Ahly in their Champions League first round, first leg match played in Cairo on Saturday.
They face the Egyptian giants again at the Bidvest Stadium on Sunday.
- Platinum Stars were beaten 1-0 in Uganda by Vipers in their Caf Confederation Cup first round, first leg clash on Saturday. The second leg will be played at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium on Saturday.
