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Goal takes a look at what Masandawana must do to beat Amakhosi in the championship.
The Mamelodi Sundowns are in another close race for the Premier Soccer League (PSL) title with a few games to go.
The Tshwane giants have clinched the last two championships on the last day of the season as they showed great character and stamina.
They may have to do it all over again this quarter as the title race looks set to go all the way with three games remaining for the contenders, Sundowns and Kaizer Chiefs.
The two Gauteng giants have been fighting hand-to-hand for the most prestigious trophy in South African football this season.
The Sundowns rank second in the league standings, tied on points with the leading Chiefs, who are only at the top of the table with +5 goal difference higher.
So the question arises: how can the Sundowns win this championship?
It’s pretty clear that Sundowns will have to improve their scoring rate in case the title race comes down to goal difference.
On paper, the Brazilians have the easiest encounter with a series of winnable matches against the Limpopo Baroka FC, Black Leopards and Polokwane City teams.
Masandawana is brimming with confidence right now after his crucial win over Chiefs, which ruined the title race Thursday night.
Next up is a clash against Baroka on Sunday 30th August, a team that have never beaten Sundowns in a league game since their promotion to PSL in 2016.
Pitso Mosimane’s team will face a Bakgaga Ba Mphahlele team who are struggling at the moment and have not been able to win since the current campaign was resumed.
Masandawana should prove too strong for the relegation-threatened team that have scored just one goal in their last four competitive matches.
Additionally, Baroka will be left without his trusty captain and goalkeeper Elvis Chipezeze, who is set to serve his one-man suspension, which is a major blow for the 2018 Telkom Knockout Cup champions.
Wednesday 2 September will follow a match against Polokwane for the Sundowns. Polokwane is also a club in danger of relegation and the team has lost three of its last four league games.
Rise and Shine also have a leaky defense having conceded seven goals in their last three games and have the second-worst defensive record, with 38 conceded goals in the league.
Sundowns attackers Gaston Sirino and Themba Zwane, who have regained their form in recent weeks, will enjoy going up against Clinton Larsen’s side.
Sundowns is set to wrap up their league campaign against Black Leopards on Saturday September 5 and it will be an opportunity for Masandawana to continue his dominance over Lidoda Duvha.
The Leopards, who are also struggling to avoid relegation, have lost their last eight league games against the Tshwane giants.
The team with the worst defensive record, with 41 conceded goals in the league, is likely to offer little resistance when facing a fit Sundowns team.
It will be imperative for the Brazilians to stay strong behind, which is something they have done recently, as they posted 1-0 victories over Lamontville Golden Arrows and Chiefs.
What is key now for Masandawana is to improve his form in front of goal and make sure that they win the games that remain with high margins to increase their goal difference.
This will surely put them in a good position to beat the Chiefs for the PSL title for a record tenth time.
