Mamelodi Sundowns are looking to get back to winning ways in the Absa Premiership when they host Platinum Stars on Thursday evening at Lucas moripe StadiumKick-off is at 6pm.
The Brazilians are still licking their wounds having lost to fellow title chasers Bidvest Wits in the league on Monday night.
Despite a run of four consecutive wins in the league, Sundowns are bitterly disappointed with the loss to the Clever Boys.
Pitso Mosimane’s side remain placed at No 2 on the log table with 50 points from 25 matches, one point behind Wits with four matches to go.
When Sundowns faced Dikwena earlier in the league season they won 2-1 in Rustenburg and will be confident of another victory, but they are under pressure to perform.
“There’s pressure on everybody. It was in Cape Town City’s hands, then it was in our hands and now it’s in Wits’ hands,” says Mosimane.
“We have to try to win against Platinum Stars and keep going. Football is not about who has the easier run, it is about who gets the three points from their games.
“Maybe the league race will go to the end. We’ll have to wait and see, but we can’t get emotional.
“To be honest, Wits wanted it more than us in the first half when we lost to them. They fought. In the second half at least we tried to play.
“We have to play for the full 90 minutes against Platinum Stars.”
Looking at Cavin Johnson’s men, they are also desperate for maximum points if they are to challenge for a top-eight spot this season.
The Rustenburg-based outfit have done well in the Caf Confederation Cup, having sealed a spot in the group stages, but they have not been convincing in the league.
Stars are wounded as they lost their previous match 2-0 to Ajax Cape Town last weekend.
Johnson and his troops occupy the 11th spot on the log table with 26 points resulting from 25 league matches played so far.
However, ahead of this match, the former SuperSport United manager said they need to remain calm and not press panic buttons.
“The remaining games for us in the league are more than cup finals. It’s a matter of life and death. That’s how we have to approach all the games,” said Johnson.
“We need our fighting spirit back. We have got to come back to the party. We have got to find the positives. Hopefully we can put the best team we can together in order to come back again, and challenge for a top eight spot.
“We have got to pick up our socks and make sure that when we go to Sundowns we fight as hard as we can to come away with at least a point.
“We have to be cautious and try get away with a point because they are in the running to win the league again, and will not be easy to beat.”
