Mamelodi Sundowns co-coach Manqoba Mngqithi is expecting a difficult game against an unpredictable Golden Arrows side who are unbeaten in their last four DStv Premiership fixtures.
The Brazilians will go into this encounter after securing a 2-2 draw against AS Maniema Union at Stade des Martyrs in Congo in the Caf Champions League on Sunday afternoon.
Sundowns are now set to come face to face with a inform Arrows side that currently sit six in the DStv Premiership standings after six matches played thus far.
However, Mngqithi admits that Arrows won’t be a walk over and is well aware of the threat they possess in the middle of the park and down the flanks.
“Golden Arrows is difficult to predict,” Mngqithi told his club’s official website.
“The team they used [when they were playing] against us changed when they played [against Sekhukhune [which] brought a little bit more stability in their midfield with a three men defensive and offensive midfield of [Velemseni] Ndwandwe, [Simo] Mbhele and [Nqubeko] Dlamini, [this] brought more impact to play behind the defense of [Pule] Modi and [Thubelihle] Magubane with [Knox] Mutizwa always coming in short, probably to create space for the wingers because I think they were coming inside.
“It’s always a very difficult game to approach but we believe that we’ve got a team that is capable of dealing with it.”
With their congested fixture scheduled, Mngqithi has expressed his desire to possibly rotate and changes his squad for their next league encounter.
“There are going to be some changes, to try and refresh the team considering that we had traveled and played in very harsh weather, very humid, most players were dehydrated [that is why] we are going to have few changes,” he added.
“We can not tamper that much with the lineup , we’ve had some bad injuries that have cost us to change the lineup alot [and] that’s basically what has put us in a very bad foot, but fortunately we are coming into this match at the back of regaining some of those players that were not there in Congo.
“It is very important to refresh the team from the team that played in Congo so that we are safe from fatigue. The players that we are bringing in also have to show that they deserve to play ahead of those that have been playing all along, it’s a two-way scenario.”
Bafana Ba Style are current unbeaten in their first six games of the league campaign and are yet to concede a goal or taste defeat, while securing 16 points from a possible 18.
“What is always important for us, which I think is the culture that we have [installed] in our players, it’s the culture of wanting to win every training session, wanting to win every friendly match, wanting to win any match match that we get to play at any given day without looking at the variables – whether it’s against a big team or a small team, it’s a cup match or a final.
“That is what is going to help us, everybody is eager to go all out and give it their best shot,” he concluded.